Martha Garcia has been selected as the next president of Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California. When she takes office on July 1, she will be the college’s tenth president, the first woman to lead the college in 50 years, and the first person of color to lead the college.
“I am ecstatic at the opportunity to lead Mt. SAC and I am grateful the board has entrusted me to serve as the next president,” Dr. Garcia said. “I am looking forward to working with the college’s teams and especially to serving students. That’s why I do what I do.”
Mount San Antonio College, of the California Community College System, enrolls more than 25,000 students, according to the latest enrollment statistics from the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 54 percent of the student body.
Dr. Garcia is currently president of College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California, a post she has held since August 2021. Prior to joining the College of the Desert, she served as president of Imperial Valley College in Imperial, California. In her 21 years at Imperial Valley College, Dr. Garcia also served as vice president of student services, acting vice president of academic services, and special projects coordinator overseeing career education programs.
Dr. Garcia holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration and a doctorate in educational leadership from San Diego State University. She also earned a master’s degree in educational counseling from National University in San Diego.