FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2025
After Board Vote, City College of San Francisco Appoints Dr. Kimberlee Messina as Chancellor
Dr. Messina to return to California after six years of transformative leadership as President of Spokane Falls Community College.
Media Contact: Diego Barragan, diego@volersa.com
San Francisco, CA — City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Kimberlee S. Messina as the College’s next Chancellor, following a formal vote by the CCSF Board of Trustees earlier today and pending contract negotiations and contract approval at the Board of Trustees meeting on June 26, 2025.
Dr. Messina brings to CCSF more than 28 years of leadership and instructional experience within the California Community College system, as well as a nationally recognized commitment to equity, access, and student success.
Since 2019, Dr. Messina has served as President of Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) in Washington, where she led transformative initiatives to improve student outcomes, close equity gaps, and reimagine academic and student services. Under her leadership, SFCC implemented Guided Pathways, launched the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning, expanded online student support, and introduced data-driven strategies to strengthen workforce and transfer outcomes. Her equity-centered approach has been credited with building a more inclusive, innovative campus culture.
A first-generation college graduate and trilingual Spanish-Portuguese-English speaker, Dr. Messina earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of California, Davis, and is a 2021–2022 Aspen Presidential Fellow, a national program recognizing outstanding community college leaders.
“Dr. Messina’s personal and professional journey reflects a commitment to social justice, civic engagement, and expanding access to opportunity—values that deeply align with the mission of City College of San Francisco,” said Anita Martinez, President of the CCSF Board of Trustees.
Dr. Messina began her career in higher education as a Spanish professor at Santa Rosa Junior College, later holding administrative roles at Foothill College and the San Mateo County Community College District, where she developed and led programs designed to increase equity, inclusion, and student achievement across diverse populations.
In accepting the appointment, Dr. Messina stated:
City College of San Francisco has a rich tradition of innovation and student success, grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am honored to join the CCSF community and to work alongside students, faculty, staff, trustees, and the broader public to eliminate equity gaps, strengthen student pathways, and lead transformational change. I look forward to returning home to the Bay Area and co-creating a bold and inclusive vision for the future of City College.
Dr. Messina will soon begin her tenure as Chancellor, succeeding Interim Chancellor Mitchell Bailey, to work with the CCSF community to strengthen its academic programs, community partnerships, and student-centered mission.
City College of San Francisco thanks Interim Chancellor Mitchell Bailey for his leadership in this interim period.
About CCSF: Bringing higher education opportunities since 1935, and now celebrating its 90th anniversary, City College of San Francisco is an urban community college serving over 40,000 students annually at six locations throughout San Francisco. The College offers an affordable opportunity to earn associate degrees, prepare for transfer, pursue career and technical education, and personal development and enrichment. Visit: https://www.ccsf.edu
Learn more about Free City: Visit https://www.ccsf.edu/paying-college/free-city