Dear donors and supporters,
It is with great pleasure that I take this opportunity to share with you recent key additions to the Hartnell family. Under Superintendent/President, Mr. Michael Gutierrez’s leadership, three important vice president roles have been filled with individuals committed to lifting up the Hartnell community and putting students first.
President Gutierrez’s vision for the future of Hartnell College is coming to life as he works to bring stellar leadership to our team.
We hope you have had the opportunity to RSVP to our Welcome Barbecue in honor of Mr. Gutierrez this Friday at 11:30 a.m. in the Main Campus Plaza. We look forward to meeting with you and greeting our new leadership at that time!
The semester is off to a great start and it feels wonderful to see the benches and chairs filled with students studying, chatting, and enjoying the campus community. The newness of the semester and the excitement it brings is palpable.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Jackie Cruz
VP Advancement and Development
Executive Director for Hartnell College Foundation
MEET OUR NEW VICE PRESIDENTS
New leadership with students in mind
In the past few months, significant campus roles have been filled with incredibly caring and capable professionals in the fields of Human Resources, Information Technology, and Administrative Services. Here is a brief introduction to these three new members of the President’s Cabinet:
Dr. Chelsy Pham
Vice President, Information & Technology Resources
“I want to use technology to create connections,” said Vice President of Information & Technology Resources, Dr. Chelsy Pham. “We all have the same goal, to help our students and community grow.”
Dr. Pham started her educational journey at Cosumnes River College and Sacramento City College, where she studied Management Information Systems (MIS). She transferred to the University of Phoenix to earn a Bachelor’s in Business Management, then an MBA in Global Business, followed by a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership with a focus on Information Systems Technology.
“Hartnell has a culture that cares and a culture of hope,” she said. “I am impressed by how above and beyond we go, from bringing food in to share with students to helping students find a good suit/dress for speech/interviews are just a few examples.”
Dr. Pham’s career began in healthcare, then moved to the Research & Development space for over a decade, where she wrote three US patents before moving into higher education.
She is very happy to be living in the Salinas/Monterey area. “My family is from Vietnam; we arrived in the USA as refugees after the war and were sponsored by a church in Leoti, Kansas,” she shared. “After locating my grandparents in California, we moved here to be together.”
Dr. Pham’s family includes her husband Ken, three children, and two grandchildren. She loves to bake, make cards and candles, and enjoys looking at the ocean.
Dianna L. Rose, JD
Vice President, Human Resources and EEO
The newly appointed Vice President of Human Resources and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Dianna L. Rose is an attorney who earned her Juris Doctorate (JD) from the University of Utah, and an MBA from Westminster College, with an emphasis in Human Resources and Organizational Development. She is a former attorney, practicing labor and employment law with executive-level experience in both the private and public sectors.
Most recently, she held the position of Deputy Chancellor, Human Resources, Compliance, and Risk Management at the Community College of San Francisco (CCSF). She served as Interim Chancellor there twice, although her primary role was in HR. Prior to CCSF, she was Vice President of HR and Risk Management at San Joaquin Delta Community College.
Now at Hartnell, she has a specific focus in mind.
“My goal is to make Hartnell college the employer of choice so that this is the college of choice for our students,” she said. “The college is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and there are many ways to demonstrate our commitment to DEI.”
Rose was born in Japan. Her dad was in the Air Force and met her mother there. At eight years old, they all moved to Fairfield, California.
She has two grown children. “One is an administrator in the community college system, the other is an attorney with Santa Clara County Counsel,” she said. “I am super proud of them both, not just because they’re awesome people, but because they chose professions of service to others.”
Whenever she has spare time, she enjoys golfing and fishing with her children and respective partners. Pre-pandemic, she was an A’s season ticket holder for several years.
Looking toward her future at Harnell, Rose said, “I am excited to work at a college that is clearly loved by the community; in addition, I am part of an incredible team whose priority is to make a difference in our students’ lives.”
Graciano Mendoza
Vice President, Administrative Services
Graciano Mendoza is the new vice president of administrative services. He has over 30 years of experience in higher education. He is familiar with the community college system, as he attended Cabrillo College, then transferred to Santa Clara University where he earned a B.S. in Accounting, followed by an MBA with concentrations in Finance and International Business.
He has worked in finance at Santa Clara University, West Valley Mission Community College District, and Gavilan Joint Community College District.
“The Hartnell community is very warm and welcoming with an emphasis on student well-being and success,” he said. “The college’s reputation for excellence and emphasis on being student-centered is well known in the region and highly respected.”
Mendoza and his parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 1960s. He grew up in San Mateo County and then moved to Santa Cruz. He is married to Dr. Michelle Donohue-Mendoza, who is dean of student services at Cabrillo College, and they have a 20-year-old daughter, Athalia, who is working toward a transfer degree.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies, and long walks near the beach. He also enjoys history, reading biographies, and watching documentaries.
Mendoza has taken the ‘students first’ culture of Hartnell, asserting, “I want to continue the Hartnell tradition of keeping students at the forefront of decisions made within our institution with an emphasis on equity and inclusion.”
On behalf of the Hartnell College Foundation, we welcome you to the Hartnell Family!
LEGACY SOCIETY
Why you should join today!
Inspired by Hartnell’s 2020 Centennial, we continue to encourage you to join the Legacy Society in order to ensure that Hartnell Community College District continues to thrive for the next 100 years and beyond! Your estate gift creates bright futures for our students. Here are some advantages of joining the Legacy Society:
- You have the great satisfaction of making an impactful investment in the lives of generations of our students, their families, and the future of our community
- Your taxwise gift from your estate to the Hartnell College Foundation may reduce your federal estate taxes
- If you let us know of your plans, we will be able to thank you and recognize your legacy as a member of the Hartnell College Foundation Legacy Society
- You will make a lasting impact in the lives of Hartnell students and our community
- You will accomplish your taxwise planning goals
- You will advance your legacy to represent what is most important to you
- Through your leadership, you will encourage others to make their gifts, thereby expanding your impact
Please visit hartnell.giftlegacy.com
Inspired by Hartnell’s 2020 Centennial, we continue to encourage you to join the Legacy Society in order to ensure that Hartnell Community College District continues to thrive for the next 100 years and beyond! Your estate gift creates bright futures for our students. Here are some advantages of joining the Legacy Society:
- You have the great satisfaction of making an impactful investment in the lives of generations of our students, their families, and the future of our community
- Your taxwise gift from your estate to the Hartnell College Foundation may reduce your federal estate taxes
- If you let us know of your plans, we will be able to thank you and recognize your legacy as a member of the Hartnell College Foundation Legacy Society
- You will make a lasting impact in the lives of Hartnell students and our community
- You will accomplish your taxwise planning goals
- You will advance your legacy to represent what is most important to you
- Through your leadership, you will encourage others to make their gifts, thereby expanding your impact
Please visit hartnell.giftlegacy.com