President and Superintendent Kathryn E. Jeffery Ph.D. announces her intention to retire

Santa Monica College (SMC) President Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph,D., leads the Procession at SMCs 95th commencent ceremony held at Corsair Field on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025.(Gregg Hawthorne/The Corsair)

Santa Monica College’s (SMC) President and Superintendent Kathryn E. Jeffery Ph.D, announced her intention to retire in a letter sent to the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees September 3.

In the letter Jeffery said, “It is with deep gratitude that I share my plans to retire as Superintendent/President of the Santa Monica Community College District, effective December 31, 2026.”

Jeffery has served as President and Superintendent since February 2016 when she replaced Dr. Chui L. Tsang. 

“Throughout my tenure, I have worked to ensure that our traditionally underserved student groups are at the center of all college activities and services, striving to close performance gaps, eliminate disparities, and foster equitable outcomes. I have sought to promote professional development for all employee groups, encourage open and collaborative conversations across constituencies, even when topics are difficult, and honor the invaluable contributions of faculty, classified professionals, managers, and, above all, our students,” she said in the letter.

A statement from Dr. Nancy Greenstein, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, was included in an email announcement to SMC faculty later in the afternoon. 

Greenstein said, “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Superintendent and President Dr. Kathryn Jeffery for her years of dedicated service and leadership. Throughout her tenure, she has guided Santa Monica College with vision, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to student success. As Dr. Jeffery begins this next chapter in her life, we thank her for her service and dedication. We wish her joy and fulfillment in retirement, confident that her impact will continue to be felt for many years.”

A trained classical pianist, Jeffery graduated from The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) in 1975 with a bachelors in piano and a minor in voice. Transitioning into education she earned a masters degree in Applied Behavioral Studies in Education, and her Doctorate in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Community College Leadership at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

Jeffery has taken on many roles throughout her career. Prior to her time as an administrator, she earned tenure at Sacramento City College (SCC) in the Counseling department and also taught as an adjunct faculty member in their Humanities and Fine Arts department. Additionally, she was an adjunct professor of graduate studies in Educational Leadership at Drexel University in Sacramento, California State University Stanislaus (CSUS) and University of Nevada- Las Vegas (UNLV).

She later served as CEO at SCC and Hennepin Technical College (HTC) in Minnesota, where she led the development of educational programs that support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). She’s also served as Provost/Chief Campus Administrator at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas where she helped launch their bachelors degree program.

Outside of her duties as an administrator, she is also a member of the President’s Round Table of African American CEO’s, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Special Commission on Structured Pathways and serves on the Board of Directors of the Santa Monica College Foundation, the Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, and the Human Relations Council of Santa Monica. 

Jeffery stepped into her role at SMC with a 10 year goal to become more equitable with the SMC Equity Journey Map. The plan was implemented in 2013 following a mandate from the California Community College’s Chancellor’s Office called SB 1456, the Student Success Act of 2012. The goal was to reimagine and redesign many college institutional structures to be more equitable and inclusive to fuel success for all students despite their diverse backgrounds. 

In an interview published in October 2020 by the Columbia University School of General Studies Jeffrey discussed the role of community colleges in today’s academic landscape and the misconceptions of transfer students.

She said, “Community college students represent the hardest-working, most diverse students in the U.S. higher education system, many the first in their families to attend college. Probably the two biggest misconceptions about community college students/transfers are, one, that they are not as likely to succeed as their peers who head straight to a four-year institution; and two, that they have availed themselves of a “second-rate” education. Both of these are just that—misconceptions.”

During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic she played a vital role in transitioning students' learning experience online, while also assisting in the refinancing of some of the college’s general obligation bonds. This move saved Santa Monica and Malibu taxpayers 26.8 million in interest costs. 

In 2022, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation honored her on their wall of fame as a Humanitarian Award Honoree. 

The President and Superintendent was front and center for students and staff in the weeks following an October 2024 shooting at the school's Center for Media and Design that took the life of beloved Custodial Operations Manager, Felicia Hudson.

In the time between now and December 2026 the Board of Trustees will begin the process of finding a new President. This process will recruit candidates from across the country who will be vetted to find the most qualified person for the role. They will assess academic experience, leadership styles, and whether the candidate aligns with the college's future goals. When a candidate is chosen, the board will take a vote on whether to approve the candidate. In 2015 the board voted unanimously to appoint Jeffery to her position.

Following the vote to appoint Jeffery in 2015, Rob Rader, a previous Board of Trustees Chair, described her in a press release saying, “she is a passionate creative and inspirational leader - one who has proven over her prolific career to be a true advocate for students.”

Jeffery ended her letter saying, “I am profoundly grateful for the privilege of serving Santa Monica College. The trust and confidence placed in me by the Board have sustained and guided my leadership through both opportunities and challenges. My love for higher education has only deepened with each year of service, particularly through my time at SMC. I look forward to what we can yet accomplish together and to the bright future that lies ahead for both the College and myself.”