Berkeley City College Visiting Team – 2021

Keith Curry
Chair

Dr. Keith Curry is the President of the Compton College and CEO of the Compton Community College District. Compton College is the 114th California Community College, achieving initial accreditation status on June 7, 2017. Dr. Curry is responsible for overseeing all departments and functions of Compton College and the District and serves as secretary for the CCCD Board of Trustees. He brings an abundance of energy and innovative ideas to Compton College, along with a wealth of experience as a postsecondary education administrator.

Dr. Curry is an active member of the Foundation for Compton Community College District, the Association of California Community College Administrators, the California Community College Athletic Association, the Statewide Association of Community Colleges (SWACC), the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice Advisory Board, and the President’s Roundtable. He has participated on Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Visiting Teams, most recently for San Quentin University Prison Project.

In 2018, Dr. Curry received the Harry Buttimer Distinguished Administrator Award. The Association of California Community College Administrators bestows the award to administrators who demonstrate integrity, principle, compassion, strength in leadership, and who have made significant contributions to the college district and community.

At the 2019 Community College League of California Annual Conference, Dr. Curry was honored as one of three 2019 Champions of Equity by the Campaign for College Opportunity and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational fund. The award honors those who prioritize student-centered policies that produce equitable outcomes and expand opportunities for Californians.

In June 2020, Dr. Curry was invited by Governor Newsom’s Senior Policy Advisor for Higher Education Lande Ajose to serve on the California Higher Education Recovery with Equity Task Force.

Dr. Curry earned his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of California, Irvine, and a bachelor’s degree in American studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Curry is an adjunct faculty member for the College of Educational at California State University, Fullerton.


Lauren Sosenko
Team Assistant

Lauren Sosenko serves as the Director of Institutional Effectiveness and the Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) at Compton College. She directs the research, evaluation, and planning processes of the college, and she facilitates planning and data use across faculty, staff, and the administration. She also supports strategic planning and goal setting to drive improved student outcomes. Previously, she served as the Team Assistant for the ACCJC Visiting Team to the San Quentin Prison University Project. Lauren has a Master of Science degree in Justice, Law, and Society, and she is currently pursuing an Education Leadership Doctorate degree.

Team Members:

Will Breitbach

Will Breitbach serves as Executive Dean of Educational Technology, Learning Services, & Research at Shasta College. He oversees the library, learning center, research, and online Learning support, and he also serves as the College’s Accreditation Liaison Officer. During Shasta College’s comprehensive visit, as ALO, he led the effort to compose the self-evaluation report and has served on three site-visit teams. He holds degrees in Physical Anthropology, Political Science, and Library Science.


Guillermo Castilla

Dr. Guillermo Castilla has been Mathematics and Physics professor at the San Jose Evergreen college district for approximately 15 years. He has been a member of various committees including the Academic Senate, Budget, Learning Outcomes, Institutional Effectiveness, Program Review and Curriculum committees. Previously, Guillermo worked as a researcher at Livermore National and Brookhaven National Laboratories. This is the third time that Guillermo will serve as a team member in an accreditation visit.


Ryan Cornner

Dr. Ryan Cornner serves as Vice Chancellor for Educational Programs and Institutional Effectiveness for the Los Angeles Community College District. The District’s nine colleges serve nearly 250,000 students a year. In his position, Dr. Cornner serves as the chief academic and student services officer for the District and also oversees functions related to research, planning, and accreditation. Dr. Cornner is responsible for the development of the District’s Strategic Plan and for the ongoing efforts to implement its goals of student success and equity. Dr. Cornner oversees the LA College Promise, a comprehensive first-year experience program that includes free tuition to first-time full time students.


Roland Finger

Roland Finger took his Ph.D. in English from University of California, Davis. He teaches writing and literature courses at Cuesta College in beautiful San Luis Obispo, CA. He passionately believes that reading is an art, a weapon, and a right. His specialties include composition, American literature, and the gothic. He currently serves as Academic Senate President.


Brian Furuto

Brian Furuto is the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services at Kapi‘olani Community College. His major areas of responsibility include leadership and oversight for the college’s operations including business and fiscal services, human resources, safety and security, auxiliary services, and facilities management. Brian earned his MBA in Management at Indiana University and spent the early part of his career in budget policy development and fiscal management with the Hawai‘i State Legislature. Brian has been in government budgeting and finance for 25 years. For the last 15 years he has had several administrative leadership positions with campuses in the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges. Brian is actively involved in several professional organizations including the Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO), where he serves as a member on the Community Colleges Committee and Professional Development and Workshops Committee, and is designated as a Certified Auxiliary Services Professional (CASP) member by the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS).


Damien Peña

Dr. Peña is the Vice President for Student Affairs at Ventura College since 2016. Dr. Peña served as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at California State University Channel Islands from 2007-2016. Prior to CSUCI, he served as the Senior Director of Programs (Academic Advising, TriO Programs and Disability Services) at California Lutheran University from 1997-2007. Dr. Peña serves as the Chief Student Services Officer and is responsible for the overall design, organization, delivery, supervision, evaluation, and fiscal management of a comprehensive student development program charged with promoting and delivering programs and services that enhance student success, achievement, and retention.


Thad Russell

Following a dozen years in the private sector as an Information Technology professional, Dr. Thad Russell began his tenure in higher education as a full-time instructor at a small, public technical college in Kansas. After ten years he transitioned into administrative positions at Dodge City Community College (KS), and College of the Sequoias (CA), and currently serves as the Vice President for Instruction at Porterville College (CA). He has been involved with accreditation in varying capacities at each college and has experience with both ACCJC and North Central Association of Colleges and Schools/Higher Learning Commission regional accreditation.


Sandy Wagner

Sandy Wagner is Associate Professor at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, CA. In her current position, she serves as Academic Specialist in the school of Distance Learning and provides subject matter expertise in developing and facilitating virtual instruction across the institute. She holds a BA in French from the University of Illinois and an MAEd in eLearning and Instructional Design from the University of Phoenix. Her experience in language teaching and teacher training in blending technology and language learning spans over 30 years. She has previously served as an ACCJC external evaluation team member.