He will have more than a few opportunities to pursue his passion for people in his new role as he assumes responsibility for managing the almost 5,000 full- and part-time faculty and staff of the District and its three colleges – Coastline, Golden West and Orange Coast.

        In June, Quarles was selected by the Coast District Board of Trustees to replace retired Vice Chancellor Dr. John D. Renley. Formerly Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, he began his new position with the community college district on July 1.

        “We were fortunate to find someone the caliber of Joe Quarles to fill this important position,” said Board President George Brown. “He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in human resources issues to the District, along with integrity and a passion for education. Everyone in this District – faculty, staff and students – will benefit from his leadership.”

        Quarles characterizes his management style as being collaborative, and, of course, people-focused.

        “I like being with people, as opposed to being behind a desk,” he said. “I like being out and mixing with the various groups on the campuses. That way, I can see what their needs are from their perspective.”

         Quarles brings to the Coast District an impressive resume of experience managing human resources in an educational setting. Prior to joining Coast, he served as the chief human resources officer for the Santa Monica-Malibu School District since 1992. From 1980 through 1992, he held various administrative roles with ABC Unified School District in Cerritos, including principal of Artesia High School and Director of Personnel Services for the school district. In addition, Quarles holds a doctorate in educational administration from University of Southern California.

        Quarles said his interest in making a career transition into higher education was sparked by a number of factors, including his experience teaching at CSU, Northridge and serving on an advisory board for Santa Monica College. In addition, his wife, Allene, is employed in HR administration at El Camino College in Torrance, CA.

        “From those experiences, I had a growing interest in higher education, and in particular community colleges,” Quarles said. “When this position opened up, it really dovetailed with my experience and interest.”

        As Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, Quarles serves as the chief personnel officer for the District and reports to the Chancellor. He is responsible for planning, organizing, administering, reviewing and evaluating District-wide program encompassing employment services in accordance with federal and state law. He also serves as the chief labor negotiator for certificated and classified personnel, as well as provides leadership in contract administration for all collective bargaining agreements.

        Quarles is beginning his career in higher education as community colleges, including the Coast District, face a number of challenges – changing leadership, state budget cuts, fee increases, and an increase in full-time faculty and administrator retirements, just to name a few. New Chancellor Kenneth Yglesias, who advanced from his position as President of Golden West College on July 1, is confident that Quarles is up to these challenges.

        “Joe’s experience and skills really impressed me,” said Dr. Yglesias, who participated in the selection of his new Vice Chancellor. “But what really sets him apart is his ability to communicate and connect with people. His skill and passion for working with people is exactly what this District needs as we go through this transition and re-define ourselves.”
Quarles, 56, is certainly no stranger to challenges. In fact, he takes it on willingly in his personal life as well as his professional life. Most days, he is up at 4:30 a.m. training for triathlons – swimming, running or cycling.

        “It gives me a lot of think time,” he says.

        Quarles, a 20-year resident of Cerritos, also enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife, two sons and their families, which include six grandchildren.

        The Coast Community College District is the seventh largest community college district in the nation in credit enrollment, serving 55,000 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.

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