Cabrillo College has unveiled a shortlist of four candidates to become the school’s next president, with plans to hold a community forum before aiming to select its next leader next month.
The slate features one familiar face: Travaris Harris, who currently serves as Cabrillo’s assistant superintendent and vice president of instruction.
The college also named Jenn Capps, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Cal Poly Humboldt, Maria Villagómez, assistant superintendent and vice president of academic affairs and accreditation liaison officer at Santa Barbara City College, and Tia Robinson-Cooper, former chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana.
Photo gallery of the finalists
Maria Villagómez, assistant superintendent and vice president of academic affairs and accreditation liaison officer at Santa Barbara City College. Credit: Handout 
Tia Robinson-Cooper, former chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. Credit: Handout 
Travaris Harris, assistant superintendent and vice president of instruction at Cabrillo College. Credit: Handout 
Jenn Capps, provost and vice president, academic affairs at Cal Poly Humboldt. Credit: Handout
The search for the school’s next president will shift into a more public phase next month as Cabrillo launches a community forum at its Aptos campus for the public to hear from the candidates.
Each candidate will have 45 minutes to make remarks and answer questions, including those from the members of the public, who can submit their questions through a Google form. The forums will all take place on Nov. 12 in the Samper Music Recital Hall at 6500 Soquel Dr. from 2 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Members of the public can also watch the meetings remotely on Zoom.
The college’s governing board is scheduled to select a finalist in a closed meeting the following day, Nov. 13, and approve the selection at a December meeting. The new president is expected to start on the job in January.
“This has been a broad, national search, and we are pleased with the significant and highly qualified pool of applicants we received,” Christina Cuevas, Cabrillo governing board chair, who also chairs the presidential search committee, said in a statement.
Current president Matt Wetstein, 62, announced his retirement in February after seven years at the helm of Cabrillo College.
More details on the four finalists can be found on the school’s website.
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