OCC president announces retirement

Michael Miller

Gene Farrell, the president of Orange Coast College for the past

three years, announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of the

month.

Farrell, 68, has worked in the Coast Community College District

for 34 years. The district began interviewing candidates for his

replacement this week and plans to have a new president when students

return after spring break.

“I’ve had a wonderful ride as president of Orange Coast College,”

Farrell said in a statement. “Those three years have been the summit

of my 34-year career with the Coast District. This college is a

fantastic place, and I’ve had an opportunity to spend quality time

with students, faculty and staff.

“Together, we’ve developed an impressive campus master plan that

will take the college into its future.”

The development plan Farrell worked on includes expanding

facilities, increasing school signage and adding a new library and

arts pavilion. The campus has already initiated parts of the project,

and plans to have construction completed by 2012.

“Gene really played a crucial role,” OCC director of community

relations Jim Carnett said. “His goal when he came in here as

president was to come up with a facilities master plan for the

college. He was really the right guy for the right time.”

The campus reconstruction plan began in earnest in November 2002,

when voters approved a ballot measure allocating $370 million for the

Coast Community College District. About $200 million of that went to

Orange Coast College, with other funds for the construction and

expansion provided by the state, fundraisers and private donations.

Colleagues said that Farrell’s financial experience helped him

orchestrate the work.

Before becoming OCC’s president, he had served as director of

business services for Golden West College and as vice chancellor of

business affairs for the district.

“He came in when there were tight economic times, and the thing

he’s done in three years is to bring together a master plan and get

the campus constituents to agree on it,” said Doug Bennett, the

campus’ foundation director. “He was really open about the financial

challenges we faced. You may not have liked the message, but you

always believed him.”

Farrell had retired from the Coast Community College District in

2000 after serving as a vice chancellor for 12 years, but was invited

to serve as interim president in July 2002 following the retirement

of predecessor Margaret Gratton. In March 2003, he was named as

permanent president.

* MICHAEL MILLER covers education and may be reached at (714)

966-4617 or by e-mail at [email protected].