Los Rios Community College District has named Torence Powell as its next chancellor.
The appointment makes Powell the first Black chancellor in the district’s history and comes as longtime leader Brian King prepares to retire in June.
Powell, one of three finalists for the position with Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson and Dr. Art Pimentel, joins a list of prominent Black figures in education leadership that includes UC Davis Chancellor Gary May, President Luke Wood at Sacramento State, Superintendent Lisa Allen at Sacramento City Unified, and Bishop Parnell Lovelace, who was named interim president of Jessup University this month.
“I feel deeply connected to the students that we serve, and our mission to change the trajectory for students and entire families, as that is what [Cosumnes River College] and Los Rios did for me and my family,” Powell said in a news release. “I could not be prouder to return home to continue the legacy of student-centered excellence that has been the hallmark of the Los Rios Community College District for decades.”
After nearly dropping out of high school, Powell first became acquainted with Los Rios when taking courses as a high school junior at CRC.
He went on to get a bachelor’s in social science from Cal State Los Angeles and a master’s in education from the University of Redlands. He also earned another master’s in urban planning from the University of Washington and a doctorate in education from UC Davis.
Powell has served as the superintendent/president at Napa Valley College since 2022. He also currently teaches as an adjunct professor at Cal Poly Pomona. He also has more than 12 years’ experience working in Los Rios in various positions, including as director of GreenForce Projects at CRC and the dean of communication, visual and performing arts and the associate vice president of instruction.
Dr. Powell’s contract goes to the board for approval at its meeting Wednesday, Jan. 14, and will be available to the public when that meeting’s agenda is posted. He formally begins his job as chancellor Wednesday, July 1.
“I think it’s a positive transformation for the community to see more Black people in leadership roles,” said Tijuana Barnes, president of the Greater Sacramento NAACP. “Black people make up a small portion of Sacramento’s population, and Black students should be able to see leaders who look like them and talk like them. When Black leaders hold these positions, it helps students see more possibilities for their future.”
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