Presidential Search
MiraCosta College is committed to a thorough and inclusive search process
MiraCosta College is committed to a thorough and inclusive search process
President/Superintendent Search
The MiraCosta Community College District Board of Trustees has initiated a comprehensive search process to identify an exceptional leader to serve as the next Superintendent/President of MiraCosta College. This process is designed to advance the College into its next chapter, building upon its strong foundation while supporting the future-focused planning efforts currently underway across the District.
Under the direction of the Board of Trustees, the District has engaged in extensive listening and engagement activities, including campus and community conversations and a broad-based feedback survey. Input from these efforts informed the development of the Superintendent/President Position Profile, which reflects MiraCosta College’s mission, values, and strategic priorities, including student success, equity, workforce alignment, community partnerships, and long-term institutional sustainability. The Position Profile serves as a guiding document throughout the recruitment, screening, and evaluation phases of the search.
The District recognizes the importance of this moment for MiraCosta College and values the campus and broader community's interest and engagement. Updates will be shared on this webpage as appropriate. To ensure a fair and effective process, the District is committed to maintaining candidate confidentiality throughout much of the search, consistent with best practices in executive recruitment.
Background AGB Search
To support this effort, the Board of Trustees has retained AGB Search, an affiliate of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), as the professional executive search firm for the Superintendent/President recruitment.
AGB Search specializes exclusively in higher education executive leadership searches and offers a deep understanding of the qualifications critical to effective, innovative, and mission-driven leadership. As an affiliate of AGB, AGB Search leverages more than 100 years of experience and nationally recognized best practices in higher education governance and leadership to assist colleges, universities, and foundations in attracting highly qualified and diverse candidates for senior-level executive positions.
Integrated Planning
MiraCosta College has a strong history of collaborative planning and decision-making. The Long-Term Planning Framework demonstrates not only the collaborative nature but also the importance that the College places on the review of quantitative and qualitative data, the adoption of evidence-based practices, and the evaluation of those practices with an eye toward continuous improvement. The Long-Term Planning Framework takes the place of the College’s Comprehensive Master Plan that expired in 2020 and outlines the basic relationship between the foundational tenets of the College (mission, vision, values, and commitment) and the goals and strategies that are developed to make those foundational principles a reality from 2020-2026.
Rather than developing a separate strategic plan to achieve these goals, strategies with measurable outcomes will be developed within each of the College’s existing plans. Plans may align with one or more of the framework's goals. Additionally, strategies conceived to address the goals may not fit into any existing plan and may require the development of additional planning documents. The goals can also be addressed through strategies at the department or division level, as part of the College’s integrated planning process, which includes program review and the development of action plans that may align with a particular institutional goal. Read more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coming Soon
MiraCosta College President Search Timeline
| Week of January 26 |
Stakeholder Listening Sessions |
| Week of February 2 |
Finalize Presidential Profile |
| Week of February 9 |
National Launch of Superintendent/President Search |
| April 10, 2026 |
"Full Consideration" Deadline for Applications |
| May 4 -6, 2026 |
Semi-Finalist Interviews [In-person] |
|
Week of May 26 |
Board of Trustees Interview Finalists |
| August 1, 2026 |
Appointment of New Superintendent/President |
Hiring Committee
| Co-chair (Board member): Frank Merchat | Associate faculty representative: Krista Warren | Academic Administrator representative: Nick Mortaloni |
| Co-chair (Administrator): Denee Pescarmona | Classified professional representative: Carl Banks | Vice President representative: Elba Gomez |
| Academic Senate representative: Curry Mitchell | Confidential employee representative: Julie Bollerud | Foundation representative: Janice Kurth |
| Faculty Assembly representative: Dara Perales | Classified Administrator representative: Kristen Gonzales | Student representative: Diego Padilla |
| Community representative: Sara Vaz | EEO representative: Hayley Schwartzkopf | IDEA representative: Wendy Stewart |
