The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Pacific Region, has selected Dr. William M. Vega, Chancellor of the Coast Community College District, as the 2003 Chief Executive OfficeAn educator for 31 years, Vega began his career with Coast Community College District 18 years ago as president of Coastline Community College. As chancellor, he serves as the District’s CEO and is responsible for a three-college district that employs more than 5,000 full and part-time faculty and staff and has an annual budget of over $200 million. 

          The ACCT Chief Executive Officer Award is named in honor of Marie Martin, former director of the Community College Unit for the U.S. Office of Education and former Los Angeles Community College District CEO. This prestigious honor is awarded each year to a CEO in each of ACCT’s five regions. As the Pacific Region CEO of the Year, Vega is now nominated for the national CEO award.

          Vega was selected for his many accomplishments over the past decade, including as a pioneer of distance learning and the use of technology to expand access to higher education to students from all walks of life. While serving as President of Coastline Community College, Dr. Vega’s visionary leadership helped re-launch a fledgling distance learning operation into what is now considered one of the top three producers of high-quality telecourses in the world. Vega is committed to the mission of the California community colleges to provide access to higher education to all those seeking to fulfill their dreams and reach their goals.

          “We are privileged to have Bill Vega at the helm of our District,” said Dr. Paul Berger, president of the Coast Community College District’s Board of Trustees. “He has vision, integrity, commitment and the ability to bring out the best in others. His gift is bringing very unique constituencies together for a common goal – doing the utmost for students.”

          Vega has served on the board of directors of such diverse organizations as the Naval Post Graduate School, the American Association of Community Colleges, the College Board and the Harvard University Educational Management Institute. He recently served as president of Renewal and Change for the 21st Century (RC2000), an international federation of urban community college CEOs who exchange ideas and seek creative solutions to the problems urban schools face in meeting the needs of a diverse group of students.

          “Dr. Vega’s influence is felt well beyond our District,” said Board Vice President Armando Ruiz. “His involvement in associations at the state, national and international levels has helped this District develop a great reputation for putting students first. He is respectful of divergent opinions and understands the importance of collaboration, which makes him an incredibly effective leader.”

          “If you could sum up Bill’s leadership style in just one word, that word would be ‘respect,’” said Warren Carter, academic senate president at Golden West College. “He shows true respect for staff, students, faculty, the Board – everyone in the District. That has set a tone in this District from which all of us benefit. He appreciates the importance of quality faculty in the success of our students, and encourages us to be innovative, creative, and even entrepreneurial.”

          Dr. Vega is an infantry veteran of the Vietnam Conflict and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge. He received his doctorate in higher and postsecondary education from the University of Southern California.
Vega will be honored at a ceremony at the ACCT Leadership Conference in San Francisco on June 27.


          The Coast Community College District is the seventh largest community college district in the nation in credit enrollment, serving more than 60,000 students each semester. The district is comprised of Coastline Community College headquartered in Fountain Valley, Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, and KOCE-TV, the district’s public broadcasting station.