SACRAMENTO – The California Community Colleges Board of Governors elected Geoffrey L. Baum to serve as president and Cecilia V. Estolano to serve as vice president for the 2015 calendar term during its meeting Monday.

The board, appointed by the governor, nominates and elects its president and vice president each November.

The chosen officials serve for a one-year term.

Baum, of Pasadena, is currently serving as vice president and has been on the board since 2008. He is a member and past president of the governing board of the Pasadena Area Community College District.

He works at the University of Southern California, where he serves as managing director of the Center on Communication Leadership and Policy and previously as assistant dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He also serves as director of communications and public affairs for the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands.

Baum previously worked for C-SPAN as an executive producer and was an assistant vice president of Claremont McKenna College. He has been a high school English teacher and a journalist for ABC News, public radio’s Marketplace, and the Army, Navy, and Air Force Times. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Claremont McKenna College.

“These are both challenging times and an era of unlimited possibility for the California Community Colleges and their vital mission to achieve success, increase access, and help prepare each student for the workforce in our global economy," said Baum. "It is a tremendous honor to be elected president of the Board of Governors. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board and the chancellor, in partnership with the governor and the Legislature, to keep this outstanding system at the forefront of public higher education in the country.”

Estolano, also of Pasadena, was appointed to serve on the board in 2014. She is co-founder of Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors LLC, which provides consulting services to public agencies, foundations, business associations, and other stakeholders seeking to grow vibrant communities.

She previously served as chief executive officer of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). Under her tenure, CRA/LA was the largest redevelopment agency in California, with an annual budget of more than $726 million and a work program covering 32 project areas.

Estolano rebuilt its housing department, shepherded CRA/LA’s adoption of landmark policies on local hiring in construction jobs and the promotion of Healthy Neighborhoods, and created a $42 million land acquisition fund to jumpstart development in underserved markets.

She conceived of Los Angeles’ CleanTech Corridor and was an early driver behind the creation of Clean Tech Los Angeles and the Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator.

Prior to joining CRA/LA, Estolano was of counsel at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher. Estolano’s career also includes service on the California Coastal Commission, as a special assistant Los Angeles city attorney, as a senior policy advisor with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and as an environmental policy advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. Estolano is a graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law and holds a master’s in urban planning from UCLA. She received her undergraduate degree in social studies with honors from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges.

“Serving on the board has been a rewarding experience,” said Estolano. “I am privileged to work alongside a group of individuals whose top concern is supporting the students, faculty, staff, and administrators. The California Community Colleges is working to improve California’s economic fortunes and taking bold steps to provide more and more Californians with higher education. I thank the board for entrusting me with this position and will work closely with Chancellor Harris to advance the board’s agenda for the California Community Colleges.”

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 112 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions.

The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

For more information about the community colleges, visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ .