Dr. Blue fills the position created by the retirement of Dr. Tom Crow. The appointment was announced at a special Board meeting on April 22, 2010. Patrick Patterson, President of the Board of Trustees said “Dr. Blue possesses the leadership skills and qualities that will serve the District well as we move forward in these challenging times for California community colleges. We are excited to bring Dr. Blue on board and know she will be tremendously successful as the District’s next Chancellor.”

The appointment of Dr. Blue comes after a nationwide search conducted through the American Association of Community College Trustees. The search process included input from a broad spectrum of stakeholder groups including staff, faculty, administration and community members. The final candidates were brought to the District for open public forums and a series of interviews with various groups. Dr. Blue was selected after a site visit to Contra Costa Community College District, where she served as Vice Chancellor of Districtwide Planning and Educational Services.

Dr. Blue earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Illinois in Urbana- Champaign, and a B.S. in Speech Pathology and Audiology, with a minor in Elementary Education from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

She began her professional career as a speech and language pathologist and special educator in K-12 public and private schools, as a private practitioner, and faculty member at Michigan State University in East Lansing Michigan, Holy Names University in Oakland, California, Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California, and University of San Francisco. Prior to her appointment with the Contra Costa Community College District, she served as Vice President for Policy and Research for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and President of Laney College in Oakland, California.

From 1991 to 1994, she served as an Associate Dean at Fresno City College under the leadership of former FCC President, Brice Harris and former SCCCD Chancellor, Bill Stewart. As a community college administrator over the past twenty years, she has served on California Community College and higher education state and national boards and commissions, presented numerous papers and workshops at state and national conventions, and co-authored published articles. At Contra Costa, Dr. Blue served on the Steering Committee of the East Bay Green Corridor Project and the Contra Costa Council’s Workforce and Economic Development Task Force. Dr. Blue was most recently appointed to the California Community College League’s Commission on the Future.