Contact: Chris Chesrown
Media Relations Manager
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For Immediate Release
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GOVERNING BOARD NAMES DR. STEVEN HELFGOT VICE CHANCELLOR OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

June 25, 2002 – A history of promoting student success and a proven record of building strong relationships with the community are attributes Dr. Steven Helfgot will bring to the post of Vice Chancellor of Student Development and Community Affairs. “The Maricopa Community Colleges have a reputation for being creative, dynamic and innovative. My goal is to maintain that tradition and bring some fresh ideas to the table, aimed at helping students achieve in new ways.”

Helfgot, currently the Vice President of Public Affairs at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, was recommended to the Vice Chancellor position by Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor Fred Gaskin. The Governing Board approved the recommendation and appointed Helfgot at its public meeting on the evening of June 25, 2002. He is expected to begin his tenure in August 2002.

With a majority of his thirty-plus years of community college experience dedicated to student services, Helfgot brings a strong background to the Maricopa Community Colleges. “Dr. Helfgot is a crusader for students,” said Dr. Gaskin. “Throughout his career, which has included extensive work in counseling, recruitment and public relations, he has consistently worked to find ways of helping students succeed.”

The vice chancellor of student development and community affairs oversees facilities planning and development, government relations and external affairs, Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, marketing and public relations and student services.

Helfgot has been with Cerritos College since 1986, holding a number of leadership and supervisory positions, including Vice President of Student Services, Executive Director of School and Community Relations and most recently, Vice President of Public Affairs. He is also a lecturer in student development theory and practice. Helfgot earned his Doctorate in Education from Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, Illinois, his Masters Degree in Counselor Education from Northwestern University and his baccalaureate degree from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. He is married with two sons.

Helfgot replaces Dr. Raul Cardenas, who will retire in early July, after more than a quarter century with the Maricopa Community Colleges, and thirty-plus years in education.

The Maricopa County Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the nation. It includes 10 colleges – Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Estrella Mountain Community College, GateWay Community College, Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix College, Rio Salado College, Scottsdale Community College and South Mountain Community College. The District also includes the Maricopa Skill Center, Southwest Skill Center, several satellite campuses and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes and serves more than 277,000 students annually. For more information: 480-731-8000 or www.maricopa.edu

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March 13, 2002