Rio Hondo College's new president takes oath of office
WHITTIER – Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees, students, faculty, staff, business leaders and elected officials welcomed superintendent and president Dr. Marilyn Flores to the college with an installation ceremony Oct. 14.
Close to 200 guests attended the event, held in the upper quad breezeway of the L Tower, to see Flores take the oath of office. Guests were also introduced to Flores’ goals for improving student success, boosting support programs and encouraging a College culture of inclusivity and anti-racism.
“I am pledging my 100% commitment to our shared goal of student success by being transparent and responsive to the needs of our students, staff, faculty and the community,” Flores said. “I took this oath of office as a public pledge of service to our college and mission of being an educational and community partner committed to advancing social justice and equity as an antiracist institution that collectively invests in all students’ academic and career pathways that lead to attainment of degree, certificate, transfer and lifelong-learning goals.”
Associated Students of Rio Hondo College President Matthew De Haro said he was thrilled to start his presidency alongside Flores, citing their similar goals in building a strong relationship between college administrators and students while also advocating for underrepresented groups and individuals.
“Dr. Flores has already demonstrated her commitment to being a leader because she’s eager to help,” De Haro said. “She truly wants to enhance our college’s culture and boost morale and school spirit – which is one of my main goals as well. She’s also an advocate for student voices and input on subjects that affect the college.”
Flores was unanimously selected by the Board of Trustees and started her leadership role on July 1. Her professional experience includes 25 years of educational work at institutions such as Santa Ana College, Santiago Canyon College, Las Positas College and Riverside City College.
“I am so excited and grateful to have Dr. Flores here to be our 11th superintendent/president,” Board of Trustees President Vicky Santana said. “There’s a lot of work that Dr. Flores is doing to make sure that Rio Hondo College offers the classes our students need at the times that they need them. We are also doing outreach to our local K-12 partners and also in our community to boost enrollment once again. We need to remind our community that we are a wonderful asset and that we will help them change their life trajectory.”