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Cerritos College President Lacy to Retire in 2015

Retirement plans announced after weeks of speculation, rumors, squabbles.

By Brian Hews

Controversial Cerritos College Superintendent Linda Lacy called it quits by officially announcing that she will be stepping down at the end of the 2015 school year, Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper confirmed on Monday.

The newspaper had been reporting on Lacy’s exit plans during the past number of weeks.

Members of the Board of Trustees received an email from Lacy about her detailed plans.

“Next year, I will have served more than 40 years in education. To that end, I have decided to retire when the term of my current employment agreement ends on July 1, 2015,” Lacy said.

“I realize that this announcement is early, but I wanted to ensure that the college has adequate time to find a qualified, dedicated individual who will be committed to serving our students, the college, and our community. Updates will be provided when the presidential search process begins,” she continued.

“It has been my pleasure to serve as your President/Superintendent for the past five amazing years. I have had the privilege of watching the college transform with the addition of new programs and services, implementation of student success initiatives, and completion of campus renovation and construction projects during my tenure,” Lacy said.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing that we’ve provided our students with a sense of hope for their future and the resources they need to be successful. Because of your hard work and accomplishments, our students are in a better position to realize their dreams,” she stressed.

“I will continue to work on meeting commitments to our community and K-12 partnerships, directing the accreditation process, monitoring bond construction projects, providing leadership and resources for our student success programs, facilitating activities that promote positive campus engagement, and more. I am thankful for the time I’ve spent (and will continue to spend) at Cerritos with all of you,” the memo concluded.

Many of Lacy’s most ardent supporters have called her, “the most successful leader in the history of Cerritos College,” while others have been more critical of her leadership style.

Taxpayers in the Cerritos Community College District pay Lacy almost $300,000 annually in salary, benefits, car expenses, including a $39,900 annual pension contribution, according to documents obtained via a public records request by Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper.

HMG-CN posted the earning reports of hundreds of employees at the Norwalk-based community college this week after officials handed over the documents via a Freedom of Information Act Request a few months ago, including the salary details of Lacy.

Lacy earned a base salary of $226,600, but her overall salary and benefits package swelled to $289,649.60 in 2013 after she received “cash in lieu” payments totaling another $2,711 and $8,342 in “Employer Paid Health Benefits.”  In addition, taxpayers picked up $6,000 in car allowance fees and another $39,996 for “Pension Contributions Above Traditional Employer Paid.”

The selection process to replace Lacy could become a political hot-button issue in the upcoming November 5th campaigns of three current Trustees at Cerritos College who are all up for reelection.

Trustees Robert “Bob” Hughlett, Shin Liu and John Paul Drayer are all planning to seek reelection sources tell HMG-CN.  If any of them go down to defeat, it is expected that their replacements would demand to have a say so on who would be replacing Lacy at the top administrative spot.

“Lacy needed to go, she was way over her head and there is way too much infighting inside her administration,” said one elected member of the Board of Trustees who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Trustee Sandra Salazar issued the following statement to HMG-CN on Tuesday morning about Lacy:

“I would like the stakeholders of Cerritos Community College District to first and foremost understand that as a Board of Trustees, we will do our due diligence in conducting a national search for college president that will identify candidates that are of the highest caliber, culturally competent and have a vision that reflects our mission and values in preparing the students of today for the opportunities of tomorrow.”  Salazar is the current Vice President of the Board of Trustees.

“Community Colleges in California are the largest workforce developer in our State and Cerritos College will thrive in ensuring student success through transfer opportunities and career pathways that will lead to new middle class,” Salazar said.

 

 

 

 

  • Charles Manson Bundy says:

    Wow, Lacy looks like something out of a horror film! Jiminy Christmas I know she’s a lesbian but jeez can she not take some sort of pride in her looks? She’s gonna look like this by the time she retires:

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KWrSs5S_IT4/TZj5WeDLkvI/AAAAAAAADdg/idem0SCjrQQ/s0/jocelyn10.jpg

    L-esbian
    I-gnorant Shit
    N-eedle Nozzel
    D-onkey Dick
    A-ssclown

    L-imp Dick
    A-ss Assassin
    C-astle Ass
    Y-ob