Dr. Scott W. Thayer Selected as 13th President of Cypress College
Dr. Scott W. Thayer will become Cypress College’s 13th president. He was selected from among five finalists, who appeared on campus on October 26 for open-forum presentations to the campus community. The finalists also interviewed with District leadership and with the NOCCCD Board of Trustees following the open forum.
Below is the announcement from Chancellor Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland:
Dear Colleagues – Please join me in welcoming Dr. Scott W. Thayer as the new President of Cypress College, pending Board of Trustees approval on November 14, 2023.
Dr. Thayer has served as an administrator in the California Community College system for the past 24 years in various executive leadership positions (Interim President, Vice President, Dean, Assistant Dean, Director) during his career at San Bernardino Valley College, Cuyamaca College, Pasadena City College, and Los Angeles Southwest College.
Scott W. 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 is a founding member of two non-profit organizations: Have Faith, Be Strong (HFBS), an 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 African American male students. He and his wife Maria are proud parents of their daughters Maya Xochitl and Marisol.
I want to thank the search committee, the employees and community members who took the time to watch the President Forums and comment on the candidates, as well as the Board of Trustees for their time and attention to this process. I am confident that Dr. Thayer is someone who will build trust, lead with integrity, keep the focus on students, and actively engage all of Cypress College’s constituencies.
Dr. Thayer will succeed Dr. JoAnna Schilling, who retires at the end of this semester. Dr. Schilling assumed Cypress College’s CEO role in 2017.
NOCCCD expanded on Dr. Thayer’s background in a news release issued on Wednesday, November 15, 2023:
Dr. Scott W. Thayer has been selected as the new president of Cypress College. He will assume his new position in January 2024.Dr. Thayer’s appointment was announced this week by the NOCCCD Board of Trustees at its regular meeting on November 14. “We are very happy to welcome Dr. Thayer and have every confidence in his vision, experience, and commitment to student success,” said Board President Ed Lopez.Dr. Thayer has 24 years of higher education experience in a variety of administrative roles. He has been the Vice President of Student Services at San Bernardino Valley College since 2017, having also served there as Interim President. He served as the Vice President of Student Services at Cuyamaca College and was the Dean of Student Affairs at Pasadena City College.Dr. Thayer has been an advocate for historically underrepresented students throughout his professional career and was integral in establishing a food pantry, housing support, and basic needs resources at San Bernardino Valley College. Dr. Thayer 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. He is a part-time faculty member teaching in the San Diego State University Community College Leadership Program and serves on doctoral dissertation committees. “I am looking forward to this opportunity to join the Cypress College community and excited about building upon the important work and innovative practices that are taking place in support of student equity and success,” shared Dr. Thayer.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.NOCCCD Chancellor Byron D. Clift Breland stated, “Throughout Dr. Thayer’s career, he has addressed equity issues by advocating 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 providing technical assistance in support of student access, retention, K-20 partnerships and equity and success initiatives. NOCCCD is fortunate to welcome this innovative, action-oriented leader to the team and we look forward to working closely with Dr. Thayer to continue supporting and expanding upon the great work that is happening at Cypress College.”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 African American male students. He and his wife Maria are proud parents of their daughters Maya Xochitl and Marisol.