Vice President
Dr. Handy is a seasoned multifaceted transformational manager with a record of success in working with and leading various constituents’ group through complex issues related to racial equity. For over 13 years, his professional experiences include counseling, teaching and administrative roles in higher education, secondary education, and non-profit organizations.
Dr. Handy is known for his dynamic vision, student-centered approach to education, and equity-minded leadership. He his renowned statewide for moving organizations towards achieving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals. Dr. Handy brings a strong energy and commitment to student success. Under his leadership, existing student service programs have expanded and have become more equitable – positively affecting students by increasing student access and achievement. In his current role, as Dean of Student Equity and Engagement at Diablo Valley College, he integrates student service programs and learning communities with instruction to increase retention and student success. Further, he provides oversight of an academic student center and an Inclusivity and Wellness Center which houses Health & Wellness, Undocumented and Basic Needs services.
Dr. Handy is committed to collaborative leadership, courageous conversations, and finding sustainable solutions that address issues of equity and race. This serves as the driving motivation for his principal leadership role and work with The COALITION; a diasporic group of Black, Latinx, and APIDA community college educators who look to use their collective cultural and professional experiences to establish a multi-organizational multi-ethnic powerbase within the structural framework of the California Community College system.
Additionally, Dr. Handy is a recognized leader and convener on African American male student success as the Vice-President of the African American Male Educational Network and Development (A2MEND). He earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Mills College with an emphasis in Community Colleges, a Master’s in Counseling Saint Mary’s College of California with a specialization in Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications at San Francisco State University.