Garcia Chosen to Stay On as Golden West President

The Coast Community College District’s board of trustees Wednesday named Fred A. Garcia, who has directed Golden West College for the past 11 months, permanent president of the Huntington Beach campus.

District Chancellor David A. Brownell said Garcia’s appointment, which was announced at a special board of trustees meeting, is effective immediately. He becomes the third president of Golden West .

Brownell said the 55-year-old veteran educator had guided Golden West during an especially trying year and deserved the permanent appointment over two other candidates.

“I am very pleased with the board’s decision,” Brownell said. “Fred was a major factor in the stabilization of Golden West College. I am delighted that he will continue as permanent president.”

Garcia was named acting president last June 1 when then-President Lee Stevens was shifted to an administrative post at district headquarters. The move was made after Stevens received a vote of no confidence from the Golden West faculty.

Before assuming the interim presidency, Garcia had been Golden West’s dean of admissions, records and guidance.

A native of Hebbronville, Tex., Garcia has been in the educational field in Orange County for 28 years. He taught at Rancho Alamitos High School from 1958 to 1963, then served two years as a counselor at Fullerton High School.

He joined the Coast Community College District as a counselor in 1965 and then spent the next 19 years in various administrative posts.

A veteran of the Korean War, Garcia received a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in social science from Cal State Long Beach. He also holds various teaching, counseling and administrative credentials.

Garcia is also a former member of the Garden Grove Unified School District board, the advisory committee of the county Probation Department and the county grand jury.

He and his wife live in Garden Grove and have two children and two grandchildren.