CCSF names historic interim chancellor as permanent search continues

City College of San Francisco will have a new chancellor next week, bringing a temporarily end to a search that began when the current chancellor, David Martin, announced his resignation in September .

Mitchell Bailey was chosen by the CCSF Board of Trustees and will be the first openly gay man to lead the institution — albeit in an interim role over one academic year — until the college finds a permanent replacement.

“I worked full time while pursuing all of my academic degrees, and I know the challenges faced by many students in balancing priorities and needing flexible educational opportunities,” Bailey said. “I want CCSF to be accessible and welcoming to every resident of our city.”

Board of Trustees President Alan Wong told The Examiner that Bailey will start May 31, pending board approval on May 30.

“He impressed me with his broad background in governance, including experience serving as vice chancellor for large community-college districts overseeing a wide range of operations and ability to work with stakeholders on legislation, communications, and coalition-building,” Wong said.

Bailey served as vice chancellor for the San Mateo County Community College District and as chief of staff for Sinclair Community College in Ohio. Originally from Kentucky, Bailey calls himself a “proud community college graduate” who is uniquely positioned to take the helm.

Wong said that Bailey came to San Francisco because of “The City’s values of diversity and acceptance.” He said he’s proud that Bailey will be the first gay man to serve as chancellor.

Once Bailey’s contract is approved, he will have a month to work collaboratively with current Chancellor Martin before Martin’s contract expires on June 30.

Martin’s departure reflects a trend at the community college — over the past decade, chancellors have not served in the position for more than a few years at a time . Martin’s predecessor, Mark Rocha, was placed on administrative leave in March 2020 after serving for three years.

Despite Martin’s resignation, Wong credited the departing chancellor with steering the college toward fiscal solvency. He said that CCSF “grew its enrollment by ten percent this year” and that Bailey will take the reins of a college at which increasing enrollment will be a top priority over the next few years.

“We need to retain [financial] stability by further increasing,” Wong said. “We need to grow enrollment and flatten our spending through prioritizing essential classes and employee attrition. Everything else is a distraction.”

Bailey will serve as interim chancellor for at least a year while the search for a permanent chancellor plays out.

“I am honored by the opportunity to support my community,” Bailey said. “I look forward to working with students, faculty, staff, and our broader San Francisco community in aligning priorities and resources to keep the needs of students first.”