For Immediate Release:
January 16, 2008

Contact: Susan Martin
PRI (415) 955-6120
smartin@pacificresearch.org

San Francisco – On Tuesday, January 15, Pacific Research Institute’s director of Education Studies Lance T. Izumi succeeded Kay Albiani as president of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. The Board sets policy and provides guidance for the 72 districts and 109 colleges within the system. It is the largest system of higher education in the country with more than 2.6 million students.

“Kay Albiani has been one of the greatest leaders of the state’s community colleges,” Mr. Izumi said. “I look forward to continuing that tradition of leadership and working with my colleagues on the Board, the staff of the system office, and the larger community college family to ensure the highest quality education for our students.”

Mr. Izumi, who was Vice President of the Board, assumed the presidency after the state Senate, on Monday, failed to confirm Ms. Albiani for another full term.

Sally Pipes, President and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute said, “We are so very pleased and proud that Lance has been named president of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. As a scholar, Lance has made invaluable contributions to the improvement of education in California. With his leadership, I believe he can help steer what is currently the nation’s largest community college system, into what also could be potentially the best.”

Lance Izumi is director of Education Studies and a senior fellow in California Studies at PRI. He is the co-author of two critically acclaimed books, Not as Good as You Think: Why the Middle Class Needs School Choice and Free to Learn: Lessons from Model Charter Schools, as well as the author of several major PRI studies and often speaks on education issues at statewide and national forums. Mr. Izumi has also served as a member of the professional development working group of the California Legislature's Joint Committee to develop a master plan for education. He is a member of the California Advisory Committee of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He holds a juris doctorate from the University of Southern California School of Law, an M.A. from the University of California, Davis, and a B.A. from UCLA.

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