On May 14, College of the Desert’s Board of Trustees voted to elect Val Martinez Garcia as the new superintendent/president of the college. Martinez Garcia was selected in a 3-2 vote during a public forum to become the ninth president of COD.

Martinez Garcia has served at College of the Desert as vice president of instruction and vice president of student services. He has held the role of interim president since December while the Board of Trustees finalized its decision.

During the public forum, members of the community endorsed Martinez Garcia. Kim Dozier, an English professor at COD, cited her own and others’ support for Martinez Garcia.

“Tonight, to be clear, I stand here as one faculty member, not as an official representative of any group, elected or informal. But I believe I am sharing the voice of many who feel silenced by some of our leaders speaking without doing due diligence and gathering the reality of our support for Val Martinez Garcia,” Dozier said. “He is the positivity that our college needs, that our students deserve as a role model for who they can become,” she continued.

Larry Moeller, a COD educational support specialist and alumnus, also voiced his support for Martinez Garcia. Moeller began his role around the same time Martinez Garcia became Vice President of Instruction and Moeller’s direct supervisor.

“I don’t think I would have been able to survive in that position without Val’s support. He was always there to listen to me when I would find problems, offer suggestions and also keep me grounded,” he said.

The search committee initially received 73 applications and narrowed the field to four finalists, who spoke at a public forum on May 1.

Contract details for Martinez Garcia were finalized and presented for formal approval during the Board of Trustees meeting on May 16.