News Release
CONTACT: Della Elliott, Public Information, (619) 644-7690, della.elliott@gcccd.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 6, 2006
GCCCD’s top financial officer heads to Sacramento for interim post with state chancellor’s office
EL CAJON – Beginning Sept. 13, Jim Austin, vice chancellor of business services for the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, will be splitting his time between San Diego County and Sacramento during a four-month stint overseeing fiscal policy for the chancellor’s office of the California Community Colleges.
An interjurisdictional agreement between GCCCD Chancellor Omero Suarez and state Chancellor Mark Drummond has cleared the way for Austin to serve as the interim vice chancellor for fiscal policy for the state community college system. With 109 colleges and 72 districts serving more than 2.5 million students, the California community college system is the largest system of higher education in the world.
Austin, who will continue working at the GCCCD office two days a week, was selected by state Chancellor Drummond to begin the interim post next week, replacing Robert Turnage who has taken a new job as an education consultant.
With the governor’s anticipated signing later this month of SB 361, which reforms an antiquated state funding formula for community college districts, Austin will play a major role in guiding the transition to the new funding system.
“We take great pride in our top financial officer being recruited for the interim state post at this critical juncture,” said GCCCD Chancellor Omero Suarez. “Jim Austin is an outstanding member of my top management team and has handled all of his fiscal responsibilities in an exemplary fashion. His knowledge of equalization issues and the integral role he has played statewide in creating the new funding formula will make him a tremendous asset to the Sacramento office.”
SB 361 and equalization – long-sought changes directing more state funding to historically low-funded districts – represent two major coups that greatly improved the funding of districts like GCCCD that have for many years endured the shortcomings of the current funding system.
Austin was part of a 12-member group of community college chief business officers that convened in 2004 to provide recommendations for revamping the system of funding community colleges. The recommendations provided the backbone of SB 361, which was passed by the state Legislature in late August and is now under consideration by the governor. Sponsored by state Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena, the legislation replaces a complex, outdated formula with one that is clearer and more equitable.
In addition to overseeing the implementation of SB 361, Austin’s responsibilities will include leading the advocacy of the community college budget proposals for ’07-’08. In the coming months, Austin will be simultaneously devising a local budget in excess of $100 million and a statewide community college budget of more than $8 billion.
GCCCD Governing Board President Deanna Weeks said Austin’s recruitment by the state is an “absolute affirmation” of the outstanding business practices of the East County community college district.
“There are many community college business officers in this state and it is a credit to Chancellor Suarez and Vice Chancellor Austin that when Chancellor Drummond looked for the best, he turned to this district and Jim Austin.”
Drummond echoed Weeks’ remarks, saying the district has a “well-deserved reputation for solid fiscal management.”
He added that Austin’s expertise will be a tremendous asset during the transition period brought forth by SB 361.
“Jim Austin’s involvement in the long march toward a new community college funding formula is well-respected throughout the state and I am very pleased he will bring his substantial competencies and his local and statewide knowledge to help us move forward,” he said.
Austin will begin his Sacramento duties working with Turnage and readying for what the departing community college financial leader calls the “hand off.”
“I am honored to accept this temporary position and look forward to one of the biggest challenges of my career,” Austin said.
Turnage, who has worked with the state office for just over four years, said in an e-mail message to colleagues that he has been thinking about a career change for “some time,” but was committed to “bringing certain community college projects to closure,” namely, SB 361 and the preparation of a draft state budget for community colleges for ’07-’08.
In the same e-mail, he described Austin as a “true professional and well-suited to help guide the details of implementing SB 361 this fall.”
“Jim served on the original ‘design’ team of 12 CBOs…,” Turnage wrote. “Jim’s willingness to step up on behalf of the system is truly appreciated, and it ensures that in the next several months, we will have someone working on implementation issues who knows intimately the challenges of managing fiscal matters in the field.”
An 11-year GCCCD employee, Austin holds a bachelor of science degree in political science and economics, and a master’s in business administration in the area of finance, both from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
His introduction to community colleges came in 1988, when he was hired as business manager of Los Angeles Mission College in the Los Angeles Community College District. Prior to his GCCCD hiring, he was vice president of administration for Los Angeles Southwest College, also in the L.A. community college district.
The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District serves the expansive East County region of San Diego County, offering hundreds of programs and resources for beginning a university degree, changing careers, upgrading job skills, or exploring new fields. The district serves 26,000 students per semester.
For more information about GCCCD and its campuses, Grossmont College in El Cajon and Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, go to www.gcccd.edu.
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