January 2020 (San Marcos) – At its regular monthly meeting on Jan. 14, 2020, the Governing Board of the Palomar Community College District formalized the appointment of Dr. Jack Kahn as Acting Superintendent/President of the District. Dr. Kahn has been serving in the capacity since Dec. 17, 2019, when then-Superintendent/President Joi Lin Blake was placed on non-disciplinary administrative leave. Dr. Kahn previously worked as Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction.
While Dr. Kahn takes on the leadership duties of the District, Shayla Sivert, a former Dean of Languages and Literature division at Palomar, will return as Acting Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction. “The Office of Instruction has an important role in addressing the current and future needs of the College,” said Dr. Kahn. “I am thankful that we will be able to rely on Ms. Sivert to lead our faculty and staff through this transitionary period. Having been a dean at Palomar, she brings both perspective and knowledge at a crucial time and will be able to quickly take on the responsibilities of Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction.”
At the Jan. 14 meeting, Board Vice President Nina Deerfield stated, “We are distinctly aware that this is an investment in human resources during a time of fiscal crisis. Please know that we (the Board) are committed to supporting our fiscal recovery. This recommendation is one that we do not take lightly but feel is necessary.”
Further rounding out the Office of Instruction is the hire of Dr. Fabienne-Sophie Chauderlot as the Dean of Languages and Literature division, a position that remained vacant since Ms. Sivert’s retirement last year. As the Dean of Languages and Literature, Dr. Chauderlot will lead faculty and staff in five academic departments. “We are very much looking forward to working with Dr. Chauderlot,” stated Dr. Kahn.
The Board also approved the hire of Yulian Ligioso as the Acting Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Administrative Services. Mr. Ligioso brings more than 11 years of senior level fiscal administration and business service experience to the District and will lead the implementation of the fiscal stewardship plan. The plan is designed to improve the fiscal health of the District in response to the District’s Fiscal Health Risk Analysis report, generated by the Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) in mid-November.
These administrators join Linda Beam, the Interim Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Human Resources, who was hired this past December. Ms. Beam brings more than 25 years of human resources experience in public education and government service. She is an experienced negotiator with academic and staff employee associations, with extensive knowledge of collective bargaining agreement administration.
