Interview with Berkeley City College President Angelica Garcia

Today we’re talking with Berkeley City College President, Angelica Garcia. Angelica is just finishing up her first year in the president role, one that she took on during COVID-19. She says she’s mostly been working from home, maybe visiting campus two dozen times, and can’t wait to get back on campus fully. With 116 colleges, in 72 districts, the California college landscape is all about communities. Angelica says being part of a community is what fuels her, and she will remain relentlessly focused on what students need.

During these trying times, Angelica says constant communication has been key. She says there’s a level of urgency, and we can’t let up in certain areas. Angelic explains that she likes to be briefed with all relevant information so that she can show up in the capacity that she needs to. If there’s a crisis going on, Angelica wants to know who’s being impacted and everything about them, as well as understanding who’s mitigating the conversation. She asks colleagues to make it easy for her to know what they need from her. Then after the crisis is over she likes to have a post-op conversation to discuss what they did well and what they could have done better.

Angelica’s leadership style is to understand and uplift. To be prepared she likes to look at her calendar one to two weeks in advance, having one day a week that she makes sure to catch up on everything. She says it takes a village for her to show up the way the community needs her to and that she can’t afford to not be informed. Angelica says a mentor once told her to make sure you’re excellent at the job you have now. Whatever is currently in front of you, show up as your best. Angelica’s mom keeps her humble by reminding her that it doesn’t matter if you're a custodian of a college president, it takes everyone to run a college smoothly.

Whether as a college president or in her personal life, Angelica says her role will always be to advance equity, racial justice, and to make sure anyone interested in higher education has access. Angelica says the advice she would give a new college president is to get an executive coach, figure out who your group of critical colleagues are, and be excellent at the job you have in front of you.

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