March 25, 2008
The Campaign for College Opportunity Announces the following:

1.  Michele Siqueiros named as CCO's Executive Director  go to this story >>
2.  Board extends CCO mandate for 5 more years   go to this story >>
3.  David Wolf joins CCO Board of Directors  go to this story >>

Michele Siqueiros will become CCO's new Executive Director effective March 31, 2008.  Michele has served as CCO's Associate Director since the organization was started in 2004.

In honor of Women's History Month, Michele was recently named one of La Opinion's "Mujeres Destacadas" (Outstanding Woman) for her work at the Campaign.  Before joining CCO, Michele served as Senior Project Coordinator for the City of Los Angeles' Department of Neighborhood Empowerment where she facilitated the development and support of a citywide system of Neighborhood Councils that advise local policymakers on neighborhood priorities. 

In the fall of 2005, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed Michele to serve as a Commissioner for the Board of Neighborhoods, which oversees the department of Neighborhood Empowerment and Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils.

Abdi Soltani has decided to step down as CCO's Executive Director.  Over the next 5 months, Abdi will remain at CCO half-time in a senior consulting role, making a smooth transition possible and helping to maintain the momentum for the passage of SB 890 (Early Commitment to College).  

"We will miss Abdi and all that he has brought to the Campaign and we are fortunate that someone so uniquely qualified can step easily into this role.  Michele has been with the Campaign for College Opportunity from the beginning.  She has already provided strong leadership to every part of the Campaign's work – from outreach to policy to coalition building.  Michele will do an excellent job of leading the Campaign through this next phase," says Board Chair Bill Hauck.  Michele will continue to be based in Los Angeles.

Abdi will be joining the Parsa Community Foundation as its Executive Director.  The Foundation is a new U.S. Persian philanthropic organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of Persian arts and culture and the encouragement of civic engagement and leadership in this emerging community.

 Click here to read a letter from CCO's new Executive Director Michele Siqueiros  >>>

Click here to read a letter from outgoing Executive Director Abdi Soltani >>>

On Monday March 11th the Board of Directors voted to extend the Campaign for College Opportunity's work through 2012, and if needed through 2014.  This decision came out of a rigorous review process by a committee that included three members of our board and three external advisors. 

The review committee included Roberta Furger of PICO, David Rattray of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, former California Secretary of Education and State Senate Committee on Education chair Gary Hart, and CCO Board chair Bill Hauck and Board member John Trasviña.  CCO Board member Steve Weiner chaired the review committee.

When CCO was founded 5 years ago, the Board gave the organization a 5 year mandate – the organization would continue only if there was a compelling need and a way for the Campaign to help solve that need.  Unfortunately, California continues to see disturbing declines in direct college going and not enough students achieving their academic goals in order to meet the growing demand for educated workers in our state.

By building coalitions, raising public awareness, and developing policy solutions, CCO will address the overall attainment of higher education in California, paying particular attention to the central and important role of the Community College system. 

The Campaign for College Opportunity will reframe its focus on three major themes over the next 5 years:  (1) Access and preparation for college, (2) Student success and completion in college, and (3) State funding and leadership for higher education.  This body of work includes seeing through the implementation of Early Commitment to College, working to strengthen the transitions between California's high schools, community colleges, and universities, helping more students to complete their educational goals in college, and establishing clear state goals and adequate funding for higher education.

"I was very glad to serve in this review process.  Our recommendation to continue the Campaign for College Opportunity was based on the need to improve college access and success and the finding that this organization is uniquely positioned to make a contribution to that goal," according to Gary Hart, former Chair of the State Senate Committee on Education and former California Secretary of Education.

The CCO Board announced the appointment of a new member, David Wolf.  David Wolf was a co-founder of the Campaign for College Opportunity.  Wolf currently serves as the chair of the Sonoma County Board of Education and as a Board member for the Community College Leadership Development Initiative.

Wolf's career in education began as a part-time teacher at City College of San Francisco, then as a Washington Intern in Education. He later held consulting and administrative positions with the Los Angeles Community College District. During this time he held positions at Mission, West, Metropolitan, Harbor and Pierce colleges, as well as posts at the district level. At West, Metropolitan and Pierce, he served as President.  Wolf also served as Academic Vice President at Santa Rosa Junior College, and then Provost for the California Maritime Academy.

Wolf later became Executive Director of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, part of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, from which he retired in July 2001. He served as chair of the Council for Regional Accrediting Commissions.

Dear Friends,

As the first in my family to go to college, I live the reality of what a college education can help you achieve.  I have leaped from the arms of an immigrant woman who worked tirelessly as a seamstress so that I could have a better life.  

I am privileged and honored to become the new Executive Director of the Campaign for College Opportunity - an organization committed to making sure that more Californians have the chance to go to college.  You may have a similar story about how education changed your life and opened countless doors.  That is why you have pledged your support, shared your resources and insight, walked the hallways of the Capitol with us, joined us for special briefings, helped us review and award scholarships, and above all - demonstrated your commitment to our mission.

Under Abdi's incredible leadership we have achieved some wonderful successes.  He has been an amazing mentor, colleague and friend.  I am sad to see him go, but I know that the work he will do with the PARSA Community Foundation is needed, and they are lucky to have found him. 

We are proud of all that we have done over the past four years, but we also realize that there is much more to do.  I hope that you will continue to work with us to make sure that more students have the chance to go to college and succeed once they arrive. With your support, we believe we can set policy priorities for higher education that are based on principles to help more students get to college, succeed in college, and meet the workforce needs of our 21st Century economy.   

As we move forward with this agenda, we know that together we will help more children fulfill the dreams of their parents, all the while ensuring a bright future for our state.

Sincereley,

Dear Friends,

I want to thank each and every person who has been a part of the Campaign for College Opportunity -- from the young people who have shared their voice through Save Me a Spot in College, to our coalition members who have made college access and success their priority, to our partners in the education community and state government who work tirelessly for solutions, and to our funders who have invested equal parts financial and moral support for this cause.  It has been a true pleasure to work with each of you.

In particular, I want to thank our board members and my fellow staff members who have made working at the Campaign for College Opportunity a real pleasure.  As I looked around at the wonderful people committed to this work, I knew that the cause of college opportunity would be in exceptionally capable hands with Michele, the rest of our staff and board, and our many supporters.  Michele and I have had the most wonderful partnership over the past four years and I am so proud that our board has offered and that she has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Campaign for College Opportunity.

What will I do next?  Many of you know that I am of Iranian descent and that I grew up in Iran until I was eight years old.  At a time when relations between the United States and Iran are so tense and when the Iranian American community is just beginning to find its voice, I felt a sense of responsibility to take on a new area of work.  I have joined PARSA Community Foundation as its Executive Director.

PARSA Community Foundation has recently been founded to encourage philanthropy and civic participation in the Iranian American community and the Iranian diaspora throughout the world. I will take everything all of you have taught me about social change and civic engagement to a community that is brimming with energy and seeking to be a force for positive change. 

I will remain with the CCO staff half-time through the end of August to foster an effective transition and to see through the execution of the current work on the Campaign's agenda, especially SB 890 (Early Commitment to College).  I look forward to continuing my work with you during my remaining months on the staff of the Campaign.  I am very excited about the direction that Michele and the team will take the Campaign for College Opportunity.  I will leave the staff but join you as a citizen of California in supporting this important cause of college access and success so important to our shared future.

Sincerely,