Board of Trustees appoints Jeff Shimizu as Interim President

The Santa Monica College Board of Trustees have appointed Executive Vice President Jeffery “Jeff” Shimizu as Interim President at their regular meeting on Tuesday. The appointment will go into effect July 1 and comes after current president Chui L. Tsang announced his upcoming retirement in January. “I echo the entire Board’s sentiment when I say that we were all counting on Jeff Shimizu to provide direction for the College at this crucial time,” said Rob Rader, Chair of the SMC Board of Trustees, in a press release.

Shimizu has served SMC in a variety of positions for over 30 years, from counseling students to managing SMC’s satellite campuses to leading the college’s 21 instructional departments. He said in a press release,“Being here for many years has given me a chance to really learn and respect the inner workings of the college, its faculty, staff and students.” He also served as Vice President of Academic Affairs for a decade before being appointed Executive Vice President in September 2014.

Described in a press release by SMC Academic Senate President Eve Adler as “an advocate for faculty, and a bridge that facilitates dialogue between SMC’s various constituencies,” Shimizu has worked with Dr. Tsang to oversee a college that serves close to 33,000 students and spends up to $149 million to do so.

He also served on the Chief Instructional Officer’s Technology Committee to the Chancellor’s Office, the Distance Education Taskforce, Commission of Athletics Athletic Director’s Organization, and the SMC Foundation Board. If the position is not filled before January 1, 2016, it is possible Shimizu could retain the title for an extended period.