Diablo Valley College President Search
The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) has announced the selection of two finalists for the position of President of Diablo Valley College. The finalists are Dr. Davin Brown and Dr. Monica Chahal.
Two separate in-person forums have been scheduled for April 30, 2025, on the Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill campus. Employees, students, and community members are invited to attend the forums, which will last 60 minutes each, beginning at 10:15 a.m., and will be recorded.
For those who are unable to join the public forums in person, links to the recordings will be made available, along with an online survey to provide feedback on the candidates following the forums.
A detailed public forum schedule, and more information about each candidate is below.
The forums will be held in the Diablo Room, located in the HSF building, April 30, 2025.
| Candidate 1: Dr. Davin Brown | 10:15am-11:15am |
| Candidate 2: Dr. Monica Chahal | 11:30am-12:30pm |
Dr. Davin E. Brown is a seasoned higher education leader with over two decades of experience championing equity, access, and student success across California’s community colleges and public universities. She currently serves as Vice President of Student Services at Sacramento City College, where she provides strategic vision and leadership for a wide-ranging portfolio of programs supporting student engagement, equity, wellness, and achievement.
Before joining Sacramento City College, Dr. Brown served as Dean of Student Success at Folsom Lake College, where she developed and implemented data-informed programs that improved student retention and helped close equity gaps. Her earlier tenure at Sacramento State University spanned more than a decade, most recently as Director of Student Engagement & Outreach, where she led transformative initiatives focused on basic needs, student leadership, and social justice. A scholar-practitioner, Dr. Brown has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in educational leadership, equity, and research at Drexel University, Sacramento State, and Concordia University.
Dr. Brown earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management from Drexel University, a Master’s in Educational Administration from California State University, San Bernardino, and a Bachelor’s degree in English from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her academic foundation, combined with her lived experience as a first-generation college graduate informs her deep commitment to dismantling systemic inequities and building inclusive educational environments that center historically marginalized students.
Recognized as one of Sacramento’s 2025 Top 20 Black Change Makers, Dr. Brown is also an engaged community leader. She has served on the Board of the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce, mentored aspiring leaders through the Pipeline to Possibilities initiative, and is a current board member of The COALITION, a statewide advocacy network for California’s community college system. She is also a founding member of The Queendom, a collective dedicated to supporting Black women leaders in higher education through truth-telling, spirit-lifting, and transformative leadership. A dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Dr. Brown is a third-generation Bay Area native and the proud mother of a graduating senior at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Monica Chahal is an experienced educator and leader whose work is defined by her focus on equity, social justice, and student success. Her work, spanning more than thirty years in the California Community College system, is reflective of her commitment to students and has led to a rewarding career as a classified professional, adjunct and full-time faculty, and administrator at Yuba College, Woodland Community College, and Clovis Community College. In all these roles, she is most proud to have served alongside and worked collaboratively with others committed to excellence and innovation.
Dr. Chahal currently serves as Interim President at Clovis Community College, which serves a diverse population of more than 13,000 students. Dr. Chahal has led the College in strategic planning, strategic enrollment management and post-pandemic enrollment recovery; resource development, including a $3 million Title V grant focused on Latinx student success in STEM; Guided Pathways implementation; building community partnerships through service on local nonprofit agencies and cross segmental collaborative efforts with K12 and local universities; and faculty and staff professional development. She has served as Accreditation Liaison Officer, assuring thoughtful and collaborative self-study.
Dr. Chahal is actively involved in community organizations, currently serving as a board member for Focus Forward (a local non-profit organization that supports Fresno County youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems) and Central California Asian Pacific Women (CCAPW provides scholarships and opportunities for leadership and advocacy for Asian and Pacific Island women from the Central Valley). She maintains a presence in the community by attending local community events as well as city government events, including Clovis City Council meetings and the most recent Clovis Mayor’s community roundtable, which included discussions on current issues facing the community, activities supporting the city’s strategic plan, and future growth.
Dr. Chahal earned a BA in English from UC Davis, an MA in English from CSU Sacramento, and an EdD in Educational Leadership from UC Davis. As a lifelong student herself, she has successfully completed the CCLC’s Aspiring CEO Program, the UC Davis Wheelhouse Advancing Leaders Institute (ALI), and the UC Davis Wheelhouse Rural Serving California Community College CEO Convening.
Dr. Chahal is the proud daughter of immigrants to the United States, public school teachers themselves who instilled in her the value of an education.
The President is Chief Executive Officer of the college and has a direct reporting relationship to the District Chancellor. The President is responsible for the delivery of educational and other services provided by the college, the supervision of the administrative staff and all educational programs and services of the college. The President provides high level direction regarding the overall operation of the college, its outreach locations, and campuses. The President delegates to the Vice President, Deans, and Directors, the supervision of other administrative, teaching, and classified professionals.
Our Vision for Social Justice
We are seeking people who recognize the critical role community colleges play in social justice, who have ability in this space, enthusiasm for this work, ideas, and vision to improve our approaches, and a commitment to achieving equitable academic success for the 50,000+ students attending our five beautiful colleges and centers. Our social justice work calls for employees who have a sense of social responsibility, interest in our community and world in which we live.
The intention of social justice work is to strengthen humanity by understanding that every person deserves the opportunity to benefit by fully participating in our society and institutions.
Academic researchers have illustrated that crucial social justice principles are a compilation of equality, equity, diversity, inclusion, engagement, environmental sustainability, and human rights. These complex principles are challenging to operationalize in higher education; yet we are steadfast in our diligence to forge ahead to advance this vital mission.
Community colleges are uniquely positioned to lead higher education in the work of social justice. Many of our students come from historically underserved and underrepresented backgrounds, including students of color, students with recent immigrant histories, students from cycles of low income if not poverty, students from indigenous communities, and students from first- generation families.
The idea of promoting social mobility through education is unconditionally and uncompromisingly embraced by community colleges. This is an exciting leadership role, and it comes with a heavy responsibility. Simply put, we need to create environments where our students achieve greater academic success, while closing our persistent equity/opportunity gaps.
If you are committed to social and racial justice and if you are interested in joining a community dedicated to solving these inequities through education, please apply.
Desirable Qualifications
The ideal candidate will be:
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A progressive leader with a clear and compelling vision of the future of Diablo Valley College who is ethical, open, accessible, and trustworthy.
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An effective communicator, facilitator, and listener who possesses exceptional interpersonal skills.
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An individual with demonstrated cultural competence who values, motivates and develops a diverse faculty, staff and student population.
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A transparent and inclusive leader, committed to consensus-building through participatory governance.
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A leader who demonstrates an understanding of the complexity and competing priorities of an evolving diverse, comprehensive community college within a multi-college district.
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An individual with demonstrated expertise in leading complex multi-stakeholder planning and implementation efforts such as college accreditation, facilities planning and construction, educational planning, etc.
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A leader with demonstrated expertise in the budgeting and resource management of a complex multi-campus college within a multi-college district.
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An equity-minded and future-oriented leader, who champions innovative practices supporting equitable student outcomes.
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An articulate and politically astute advocate, responsive to the needs of the community, K-12 and higher education partners, and business and industry, with a solid understanding of legislative processes and issues.
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A leader with demonstrated success in supporting and motivating diverse faculty, staff and management through professional development, lifelong learning, and continuous improvement.
About Diablo Valley College
Diablo Valley College (DVC) is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District. For over 75 years, Diablo Valley College has provided quality education to the community it serves. The larger of DVC’s two campuses is located in Pleasant Hill while the San Ramon Campus serves the south county in Dougherty Valley.
Between its two campuses, DVC serves more than 22,000 students each semester with a wide variety of program options. DVC is not only recognized as one of California's best community colleges, but it also leads the state in transfer to four-year institutions.
The college officially began in 1949, in some of the most unlikely sites: high schools, banks, churches, even an old army camp. Called East Contra Costa Junior College, we moved to our present site in 1952, in ten steel buildings acquired from the government for $45 each. The cornerstone for the first permanent building was laid in 1953, and the name Diablo Valley College was adopted in 1958.
We've come a long way since those humble beginnings. Over one and a half million students have enrolled here since 1949! As we salute our heritage, we look forward to serving one of Northern California's most dynamic, education-minded areas for another 50 years.
For over 75 years, Diablo Valley College has provided quality education to the community it serves. A million students later, enrolling at DVC is one of the best ways you can ensure acceptance at a four-year college. DVC is not only recognized as one of California's best community colleges, but it also leads the state in transfer to four-year institutions.
A brief history of our land shows us that this was originally home to the Costanoan Indians. In 1844, the Mexican government granted the land to William Welch, and it became part of his huge Rancho Las Juntas, which included northwestern Walnut Creek, all of Pleasant Hill, and the northeastern half of Martinez. After World War II the land was subdivided into housing tracts, and on October 5, 1950, the College Board of Trustees purchased the DVC site for $172,500. Construction began in September, 1951.
With students of all ages and backgrounds, and a host of programs, you'll find a dynamic educational environment and a lively atmosphere at DVC. DVC Pleasant Hill is located off of Interstate 680, and the campus is situated on one hundred acres of gently rolling hills in view of Mt. Diablo, a northern California landmark. DVC San Ramon in Dougherty Valley opened its doors to students in November of 2006.
Both of our handsomely landscaped locations are a short distance from San Francisco, creating the ideal settings for the premier transfer institution in California. We are the college of choice for many students from the private and public high schools in the nearby Martinez, Mt. Diablo, San Ramon, and Acalanes School Districts.
Click here for more information about the college.
About the District
The mission of the Contra Costa Community College District is to transform lives by providing outstanding learning opportunities that nurture and empower all students to achieve their educational goals. The dedicated faculty, classified professionals, and administrators in the District are committed to core values and action that promote excellence in learning and equitable student success. The District is committed to hiring and developing a diverse staff that understands that cultural diversity in the academic environment promotes academic excellence; fosters cultural, racial and human understanding; provides positive role models for all students; and creates an inclusive and supportive educational work environment for its students, employees, and the community it serves.
Located in Contra Costa County, in the beautiful and diverse San Francisco East Bay area, the District serves 1.2 million residents within the County through education, business partnerships and service in the community. The District first opened its doors in 1949 and is the second oldest and eighth largest multi-college community college district in California. The District consists of three colleges and two centers; Contra Costa College is located in San Pablo; Diablo Valley College is located in Pleasant Hill and has a campus in San Ramon; Los Medanos College is located in Pittsburg has a center in Brentwood. The District Office, located in downtown Martinez, supports the mission and functions of the colleges.
As evidenced by the rich diversity in Contra Costa County, the District enrolls a highly diverse student population. Serving over 47,137 students in the 2023-24 academic year, the demographic make-up of students was 8% Black/African American, 15% Asian/Pacific Islander, 37% Hispanic/Latinx, 21% White/Non-Hispanic, and 19% Other.
The District actively encourages a diverse pool of applicants to serve the dynamic student population and work collaboratively with existing colleagues that are equally dynamic and diverse.
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