The Riverside Community College District (RCCD) Board of Trustees has selected Star Rivera-Lacey as the district’s next chancellor, the district announced Oct. 20. She takes over Jan. 1, 2027.
Rivera-Lacey, who has served as RCCD’s deputy chancellor and provost since December 2025, will succeed Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac, who is retiring.
The chancellor oversees Riverside City College, Norco College and Moreno Valley College, which together serve about 60,000 students a year. For many Riverside residents, those campuses are a first step toward a four-year degree, a job credential or a new career.
“Dr. Rivera-Lacey brings a strong combination of experience, vision, and a deep commitment to student success,” Jose Alcala, president of the RCCD Board of Trustees, said in a statement. “The Board looks forward to working with her to build upon RCCD’s accomplishments and expand opportunities for the students and communities we serve.”
Before coming to Riverside, Rivera-Lacey was superintendent/president of the Palomar Community College District in north San Diego County. According to the district, her work there focused on finances, instruction, campus facilities and student success, including expanding job-focused programs and “guided pathways,” a statewide approach that maps out clear course sequences so students can finish degrees and certificates faster.
She has spent more than 25 years in California’s community college system, the district said, including leadership roles at San Diego College of Continuing Education, San Diego City College, San Diego Miramar College and San Diego Mesa College.
Rivera-Lacey is a first-generation college graduate and the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants. She started at MiraCosta College, a community college in Oceanside, then earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from California State University, San Marcos; a master’s degree in education from San Diego State University; and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate University.
She is a UC Davis Wheelhouse Fellow and an Aspen Rising Presidential Fellow, and has held leadership roles with the National Community College Hispanic Council. In 2025, California State Assembly District 76 named her its Woman of the Year.
“As we look to the future, my focus will be on listening, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring that every student has the opportunity and support needed to achieve their educational and career goals,” Rivera-Lacey said in a statement.
As she moves into the role, Rivera-Lacey plans to visit each of the district’s colleges and offices and hold listening sessions with students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members. The district said dates for those sessions will be announced later.
The board chose Rivera-Lacey after a national search led by a district search committee with help from the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT).
