CAMARILLO, Calif. - s4story -- The inaugural cohort of The Leadership Collaborative at CCVC (Community Colleges of Ventura County) celebrated the completion of the seven-month leadership development program designed to cultivate thoughtful, values-driven leaders and strengthen collaboration across the district and the communities it serves.

Grounded in the belief that leadership exists at every level of an organization, The Leadership Collaborative brings together Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) employees from diverse roles and disciplines to develop the human-centered leadership skills needed to foster meaningful relationships, navigate complexity and change and strengthen the vitality of our communities. Selected through a competitive application process, the cohort included members of the faculty, classified professionals, supervisors, directors and deans representing all three colleges and the District Administrative Center.

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"I am incredibly proud of the commitment these employees have made to their own growth and to strengthening our District," said Rick MacLennan, chancellor of the VCCCD. "Their willingness to learn alongside one another exemplifies the collaborative spirit that makes our colleges and communities stronger."

Participants engaged in monthly sessions, peer partnerships, job shadow experiences, assessments, coaching and professional development planning. Topics explored throughout the program included effective communication, emotional intelligence, conflict navigation, collaboration for impact and leading through change. Session facilitators and panelists included District leaders, community partners and representatives from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.

"The Leadership Collaborative has been a welcome and highly valuable experience in bringing together folks across different disciplines who have a shared goal of learning about themselves and growing together in leadership and servingness," said Yesenia Ruvalcaba, student support technician with Oxnard College's EOPS/CARE program. "I'm looking forward to further implementing what I have learned to my professional and personal relationships with growing confidence."

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Members of the inaugural cohort were recognized by the VCCCD Board of Trustees at its May meeting. Graduates of the 2025–26 cohort include

• Kelly Barton, District Administrative Center
• Ruth Bennington, Moorpark College
• Robert Cabral, Moorpark College
• Susan Carrasco, M.S., Oxnard College
• Melanie Csellak, Moorpark College
• Nicholas deBos-Haigler, Oxnard College
• Shyan Diaz-Brown, Moorpark College
• Allison Frazier, District Administrative Center
• Ty Gardner, Ventura College
• Jennifer Garner, Ventura College
• Dr. Elizabeth Gillis, Moorpark College
• Coach Traycie Kephart, Moorpark College
• Ann Marie Machamer, Oxnard College
• Dr. José A. Maldonado, Oxnard College
• Ali Olson-Pacheco, Ventura College
• Sharon Oxford, Ventura College
• Amanda Picard, Ventura College
• Dina Pielaet, Moorpark College
• Shirley Ruiz, Moorpark College
• Yesenia Ruvalcaba, Oxnard College
• William Slason, Ventura College

Visit https://www.vcccd.edu/TheLeadershipCollaborative to learn more about The Leadership Collaborative at CCVC.