Los Rios Community College District welcomes new chancellor with deep Sacramento roots
MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES IN STATE HISTORY. WELL, NEW THIS MORNING, A NEW ERA OF LEADERSHIP BEGINS FOR THE LOS RIOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT. ALTHOUGH HE WAS APPOINTED IN JANUARY, A NEW CHANCELLOR OFFICIALLY BEGAN HIS ROLE LAST WEEK. AND THIS MORNING, WE WELCOME DOCTOR TORRANCE POWELL. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME BACK. WELCOME BACK HOME. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. I’M GLAD TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. SO YOU KNOW, YOU WORKED FOR LOS RIOS COLLEGE FOR 12 YEARS. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE NOW TO COME BACK IN THIS ROLE? OH IT’S FANTASTIC. THIS IS A HOMECOMING FOR ME AS A LOCAL PRODUCT. YOU KNOW, BORN AND RAISED IN SACRAMENTO AND WAS A COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT HERE AS A LOS RIOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT MANY YEARS AGO. SO THIS IS A HOMECOMING FOR ME. IT’S A GREAT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE, AND I’M GLAD TO BE BACK. AND SO YOU ATTENDED CONSUMES RIVER? YES. WHAT DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE AND HOW WILL YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT SHAPE HOW YOU WILL NOW LEAD? WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT’S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. IT’S REALLY SHAPED HOW I’VE LED THIS ENTIRE TIME THAT I’VE WORKED IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM. IT’S GIVEN ME, I THINK, A REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE TYPICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS NARRATIVE, WHAT THEIR JOURNEY IS LIKE. AND SO IT REALLY HELPS TO GROUND ME, AND IT HELPS TO ENSURE THAT THE WORK THAT I DO AS A LEADER IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THINGS THAT ADVANCE THE OVERALL HEALTH OF STUDENTS, THEIR WELL-BEING, THEIR CHANCE FOR SUCCESS. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE THAT IS FACING COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS RIGHT NOW? I MEAN, IS IT, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH? IS IT HOUSING? IS IT THE COST OR SOMETHING ELSE? YES, I WOULD SAY ALL OF THE ABOVE, REALLY. I THINK WHAT I FOUND IN, IN RESEARCHING AND WORK EXPERIENCE IS THAT IT’S OFTEN NOT CLASSROOM STRUGGLES THAT ACTUALLY ARE IMPEDING STUDENT SUCCESS OR PROGRESS. IT’S THEM BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE ALL OF THE THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU JUST REALLY CLASSIFIED ARE WHAT WE CALL BASIC NEEDS. AND SO STUDENT BASIC NEEDS IS AN AREA THAT’S OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR ME. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON A STATEWIDE TASK FORCE WITH OTHER CEOS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES TO ADDRESS BASIC NEEDS HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTH, FOOD SECURITY, THOSE THINGS. SO I THINK THE FOCUS AND EMPHASIS ON THOSE THINGS REALLY HELP TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM AND AFTER GRADUATION, WE KNOW THAT AND WE HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME THAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR SKILLED WORKERS. TALK MORE ABOUT YOUR PLAN TO MAKE SURE THESE STUDENTS ARE READY TO GO RIGHT INTO THE WORKFORCE RIGHT AFTER GRADUATION. YES. GREAT QUESTION. SO WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF BEING ONE OF THE THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS THAT FOCUSES REALLY TO A LARGER EXTENT THAN THE OTHER ONES. ON WORKFORCE READINESS, CAREER SKILLS. AND SO LOS RIOS IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND REALLY THE COUNTRY FOR BEING A LEADER IN WORKFORCE INNOVATION. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AS A SYSTEM TO CREATE MORE PATHWAYS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO, TO LOOK AT OTHER METHODS FOR STUDENTS TO ACCESS CLASSES, WHETHER IT BE FOR CREDIT OR NONCREDIT CLASSES. LOOKING AT THE THE PORTFOLIO OF CAREER EDUCATION PROGRAMS WE HAVE WITHIN THE REGION TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE REFLECTIVE OF THE GROWING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION, MAINTAINING TIGHT PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR OUR WORKFORCE PARTNERS WITH WITH ALL OF THE MANY COMPANIES, CORPORATIONS THAT ARE EITHER HERE OR LOOKING TO COME HERE. WE WANT TO BE PARTNERS, AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE’RE PROVIDING THAT EDUCATED WORKFORCE FOR THE REGION. SO STUDENTS HAVE PATHWAYS. DOCTOR POWELL, WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN THIS MORNING. I KNOW THIS IS YOUR FIRST INTERVIEW IN THIS NEW ROLE. SO AGAIN THANK YOU FOR SHARING. AND OF COURSE WE’LL BE CHECKING IN WITH YOU AS YOU’RE GOING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, YOUR TIME IN THIS ROLE AS CHANCELLOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE.
Los Rios Community College District welcomes new chancellor with deep Sacramento roots
Updated: 9:25 AM PDT Jul 6, 2026
The Los Rios Community College District has selected a familiar face to lead the state’s second-largest community college district.The Los Rios Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Dr. Torence Powell as the district’s next chancellor during its Jan. 14 meeting. Powell officially began serving in the role on July 1, succeeding longtime Chancellor Dr. Brian King, who retired at the end of June.For Powell, the appointment is more than a career milestone — it’s a return home.Powell said his connection to Los Rios began long before his career in higher education. He was a student at Cosumnes River College.Powell most recently served as superintendent and president of Napa Valley College, where he had led the campus since 2022.The Los Rios Community College District serves tens of thousands of students each year across four colleges: American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College.As chancellor, Powell will oversee the district’s colleges, educational centers and workforce development efforts while guiding its strategic priorities for student success, access and career preparation.Powell joined KCRA 3 Monday morning for his first television interview to discuss the new role.Click the video above to see the full conversation. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Los Rios Community College District has selected a familiar face to lead the state’s second-largest community college district.
The Los Rios Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Dr. Torence Powell as the district’s next chancellor during its Jan. 14 meeting.
Powell officially began serving in the role on July 1, succeeding longtime Chancellor Dr. Brian King, who retired at the end of June.
For Powell, the appointment is more than a career milestone — it’s a return home.
Powell said his connection to Los Rios began long before his career in higher education.
He was a student at Cosumnes River College.
Powell most recently served as superintendent and president of Napa Valley College, where he had led the campus since 2022.
The Los Rios Community College District serves tens of thousands of students each year across four colleges: American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College.
As chancellor, Powell will oversee the district’s colleges, educational centers and workforce development efforts while guiding its strategic priorities for student success, access and career preparation.
Powell joined KCRA 3 Monday morning for his first television interview to discuss the new role.
Click the video above to see the full conversation.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google