Areas of Expertise:

• Authentic Leadership
• Leading with Core Values and Empathy
• Leadership Ethics

Dr. Walter C. Jones has served as an administrator in higher education for over 22 years. His experience at both the community college and university spans over 25 years. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University Northridge in English. He attended California State University Dominguez Hills where he received his Master of Arts degree in Education (Teaching/Curriculum). At the University of California Los Angeles, he attained his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership with a particular focus on the role of family in college selection for underrepresented students.

Currently, Dr. Jones is the Dean of Academic Affairs (General Education & Transfer) at West Los Angeles College. He has served as President (2015-2016) of the African American Male Education Network & Development (A²MEND) and has been a member of the organization since its inception.  As a champion for the development of Black male students in community colleges, he has provided mentorship for many students and has been an active trainer for other administrators, faculty and staff who are advocates for student success. In 2018 Dr. Jones received the UCLA Educational Leadership Program’s “Hero Award” for his work with A²MEND. Previously, he served as a Board member for the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA), the California State University Dominguez Hills Alumni Advisory Board and he is a former mentor for the San Gabriel/Foothill Association of Community Colleges (SanFACC). In addition, he is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and University’s Millennium Leadership Institute Class of 2006. Dr. Jones is a published writer and poet. He has been married to his wife, Trish, for 23 years and they have a son (Brandon) and two daughters (Jade and Jennifer).

Dr. Ricky Shabazz is an enthusiastic, student-centered leader with over 18 years of executive experience advancing academic achievement, educational equity, diversity, and improving access to higher education. Dr. Shabazz is a team builder with an accomplished track record developing collaborative partnerships that improve student success. He is specializing in enrollment management and cultivating institutional policies, processes, and culture that provide both personalized student experiences and improved student outcomes. His mother was a teenage parent, and he was the first person in his family to attend college. Dr. Shabazz is a promotor of innovative solutions that stimulate inclusive dialogs amongst all stakeholders, and he is a passionate lifelong learner who is absolutely committed to the mission of community colleges to educate a diverse community of learners.

Dr. Shabazz currently serves as the President of San Diego City College, where he provides executive leadership at one of the most innovative and socially active community colleges in the nation. His duties include leading interventions and discussions aimed at improving completion, success, and equity of culturally diverse students.

Dr. Shabazz is the former Vice Present of Student Services at San Bernardino Valley College, where his responsibilities included providing leadership to offices and programs such as Admissions and Records, Assessment, Counseling, Financial Aid, Outreach, Student Development and Student Discipline, ASB, EOPS/CARE, CalWORKs, Disabled Student Services, Federal TRIO programs, Foster Care Education Programs, First Year Experience, the Transfer Center, and Graduation. His team opened one of the state’s first Dreamer’s Resource Centers, and in his last year at Valley College, the college graduated one of its largest graduating classes.

As the former Dean of Student Services at El Camino College Compton Center, Dr. Shabazz provided leadership for enrollment management and all of Compton Center’s student services programs. Under his leadership, Compton Center’s image greatly improved in the community and enrolled grew from 6,700 students in 2006/07 to approximately 14,000 students in 2012/13. During the 2012/13 academic year, Compton Center graduated and transferred more students than in the school’s recent history.

In addition to his work at the Compton Center, Dr. Shabazz has extensive experience in enrollment management and college admissions. He has held positions as Associate Director in the Office of Admissions at Harvey Mudd College; Director of the MESA program and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of California, Davis (UCD); and Analyst in the University of California Office of the President.

Dr. Shabazz earned an Ed.D. in educational leadership, as well as a master’s degree in educational administration from California State University, San Bernardino and a bachelor’s degree from UCD. Dr. Shabazz’s research expertise is in increasing college access for underrepresented students. He is a graduate of the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) Mentorship and Admin 101 programs, a Lakin Fellow, and an alumnus of Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) President’s Academy.

Dr. Scott W. Thayer arrived as the 13th President of Cypress College in January, 2024. Dr. Thayer has 24 years of higher education experience in a variety of administrative roles. He is an advocate for historically underrepresented students and was integral in establishing a food pantry, housing support, and basic needs resources in prior roles. He also is a part-time faculty member, teaching in the San Diego State University Community College Leadership Program and serves on doctoral dissertation committees.

Prior to his selection as Cypress College’s president, he served as the Vice President of Student Services at San Bernardino Valley College from 2017-2023, where he also served as Interim President. Previously, he was the Vice President of Student Services at Cuyamaca College and was the Dean of Student Affairs at Pasadena City College.

Throughout his career, Dr. Thayer has advocated for equity in higher education. He has served as a Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) coach through the state Chancellor’s Office Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) and as a member of the Partnership Resource Teams that provide technical assistance in support of student access, retention, K-20 partnerships and equity and success initiatives. He is an established grant writer and has secured over $15M in TRIO grant and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) funding to assist students in their pursuit of a higher education.

Dr. Thayer is a founding member of two non-profit organizations: Have Faith, Be Strong (HFBS), a non-profit organization for childhood cancer awareness, and the African American Male Education Network and Development (A²MEND), an organization established to foster institutional change within the community college system to increase the success of Black male students.

Dr. Thayer received his doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Southern California. He completed his Master of Arts in Counseling and Guidance degree from Point Loma Nazarene University in California, his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rollins College in Florida, and his Associate of Arts degree from Normandale Community College in Minnesota.

He and his wife Maria are proud parents of their daughters Maya Xochitl and Marisol.

Dr. Erin Vines currently serves as the Executive Director for the African American Male Education Network and Development (A²MEND) and is also a board member of the organization. Previously Dr. Vines served as Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Student Services at Antelope Valley College for nine years. Prior to joining AVC, Dr. Vines served as Dean of Counseling and Special Services at Solano Community College for seven years. Dr. Vines served as adjunct faculty at California State University, Northridge in both the master’s and doctorial programs. He served as full-time faculty, classified, and administrator at the secondary level prior to entering into higher education. 

Dr. Vines has a true understanding of the many challenges related to enrollment, retention and student success that confront community colleges today. He also knows firsthand as a community college graduate and experience as a community college leader that a positive campus culture, challenging coursework, supportive faculty, effective supplemental instruction and sound innovative leadership can enhance a student’s experience while fulfilling the mission of the college.

Dr. Vines earned his doctorate from the University of Southern California in Educational Leadership. He earned two Master’s Degrees, one in Education Counseling from California State University, Bakersfield and the other from the University of LaVerne in Educational Leadership. 

Dr. Vines is married and has one teenage daughter. In his spare time he enjoys to travel, read, play golf and watching sports. He is also a mentor to many students and professionals.