An open forum was held with two out of the three finalists for the president’s position in Fresno City College’s Old Administration Building on March 17.
Each forum was 45 minutes allowing candidates Christine Holt, Denise Whisenhunt and Nathan Carter to introduce themselves before answering questions concerned parties were able to submit beforehand online.
Each forum was recorded and would be available online from March 19 to March 21, according to the State Center Community College District’s website.
Holt has served as University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana’s chancellor since 2021. She has a strong focus on being engaged with all facets of FCC campus.
Holt not only wants to be engaged herself, but for faculty to be engaged with students: caring for them and their success while also holding them accountable.
Holt advocates for students to be properly prepared for leaving FCC, so if students are continuing their education elsewhere or joining the workforce they will be ready because of FCC.
“What you can expect from me is to act with integrity, you can expect I’ll ask some difficult questions. You can expect I will be a staunch advocate not only for our students but for our classified professionals,” Holt said.
Whisenhunt shared similar points with Holt in terms of being engaged with faculty, students and the Fresno community. She is from Fresno and is honored to be a finalist in her hometown. The president of Grossmont College at El Cajon in San Diego County with nearly 30 years of experience in higher education, Whisenhunt wants to bring her skills and experiences to FCC.
“I come from this community, I love this community, this community is mine. I am so thrilled about thinking of the notion to move us forward. I think I possess the requisite skills, the knowledge, the awareness, the training to help prepare and move the college forward,” Whisenhunt said.
On March 18 from 2:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the OAB, candidate Nathan Carter answered the same questions. Carter works as the chief institutional effectiveness and inclusion officer at Northern Virginia Community College.
Besides his position at the second largest community college in the nation, Carter has 20 years of experience from the community college level to the Virginia Department of Education.
Carter was a Sacramento City College alumni before he moved on to further education.
He wants to use his experience going through the California community college process along with his leadership roles in diversity, equity and inclusion offices to uplift and strengthen FCC.
In the current political climate where President Trump and his administration see programs like DEI as “radical” and “wasteful,” Carter strives to be a champion for high quality and inclusive education for all.
“I think about the importance as a leader of being vulnerable, willing to lead with vulnerability and being courageous to talk about the importance of equity access, anti-racism, and social justice in everything that we do. I am always going to be authentic and I am going to show up with courage,” Carter said.
According to the SCCCD website, the next step in the process is the Chancellor Presidential Selection & Announcement which is currently pending board approval.
