For 10 years, he has kept a district with more than 60,000 students
each semester running smoothly. Last week, Coast Community College
District Chancellor William Vega announced that he would retire in
June.
Vega took over as the district's fifth chancellor on Nov. 1, 1993.
With three colleges -- Orange Coast College, Golden West College
and Coastline Community College -- and KOCE-TV, the district's public
television station, it is the seventh-largest community college
district in the nation.
Vega is credited with bringing the three schools together as a
whole. He worked to create on open and communicative environment on
and between the three campuses.
"He's done a great job forging a bond between the different
campuses," OCC spokesman Jim Carnett said. "Before he took over,
there was quite a bit of antagonism and suspicion among the different
colleges."
It was no small feat considering the size and scope of the three
schools.
Vega also fought to keep state funding for community colleges, and
he kept the moral up when it disappeared anyway.
It was under his watch that the Coast Community College District
passed the $370-million bond to modernize the library at Golden West
College, to renovate the Robert B. Moore Theatre at Orange Coast
College and to construct a permanent home for Coastline College's
Westminster Learning Center.
Vega was one of the men behind the institution. He didn't come out
and take a bow very often, but you knew he was back there working for
the students.
While the institution will go on, Vega will be missed and
remembered for his many contributions.
