Join new college president in collaborating, initiating conversations on partnerships to take college district to the next level.
By Pedro Avila
Dr. Pedro Avila
Having started July 11 as the new superintendent/president of the Gavilan Joint Community College District, I am grateful for all the gracious welcomes from my colleagues at the college and the community at large. Coming to Gavilan is a return to my family roots. It is a return to a place I am most comfortable in — small communities with strong traditions for working together, collaborating, and getting to know each other on a first-name basis.
Looking for new opportunities, my family migrated to California from Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1984. We settled in Castroville, just down the road. When we arrived, my family worked picking strawberries in the fields of Salinas. Like many migrant families, we experienced extreme poverty and housing insecurity. This experience had a tremendous effect on my decision to go into higher education and has served as a guiding light in my decisions and advocacy work for our most vulnerable students: English language learners, first-generation to attend college, and those experiencing food and housing insecurities.
Our South County region needs to meet the challenges of rising housing costs, economic equity for all, and access to transportation. This is where the mission of a community college to serve all in the community comes in.
In its 102 years of existence, Gavilan has been embedded in the fabric of this community. However, the time has come for this beloved institution to be a catalyst for change and economic opportunity for the residents in our South County communities.
I am a strategic leader committed to listening to all voices and working collaboratively towards measurable goals. I genuinely believe access to higher education is the great equalizer.
Given its beautiful campus setting, not only is Gavilan College an environmental gem, but it is a best kept secret that needs to be released to all of those looking to transfer to a CSU/UC, those looking to change careers, mothers in need of options for employment that will allow them to continue caring for their families, and those wanting to enter the lucrative tech labor market. During the past 20 years, I have served at three different colleges located in the communities of Coalinga, Fresno, and Santa Rosa. One of my proudest moments was building a $75 million affordable student housing complex at Santa Rosa Junior College. I am excited to return home to Gavilan and bring my years of experience and passion for serving students to the communities where I grew up.
My wife, Jeanette, and I are raising two girls who are in middle school. We live in Gilroy, only minutes from our campus. Being part of this community is important to us. We are all in!
I ask you to join me in collaborating, initiating conversations on partnerships, so that, together, we take this beloved college district to the next level.
Dr. Pedro Avila is the superintendent/president of the Gavilan Community College District.
