Palacio Podcast
LBCC Chief Dr. Reagan Romali Sees Challenges as Opportunities
Dr. Reagan Romali will mark her one-year anniversary as Superintendent-President of the Long Beach Community College District (LBCCD) in May. In our recent interview, I asked her to point to the one accomplishment for which she was the proudest and it was a big one, an accreditation report to the commission that basically gives you a stamp of approval. Trust us, it’s a big deal.
“For the first time in 15 years, the leaders of every single constituency on campus, the union heads, the Senate heads, the management team, the faculty, the staff signed the document in unison.”
For Dr. Romali, this show of support signals a unity that people are excited about the direction of the college.
“People are excited about where we are going. . . and that kind of respect, civility, leadership, unity signals that we are together in this.”
Her excitement and positivity are infectious and it clearly comes across when you speak with Superintendent-President Dr. Reagan Romali. PalacioMagazine.com sat down with Dr. Romali in her corner office recently to discuss challenges that are actually opportunities for pathways to the future.
Dr. Reagan F. Romali
Dr. Reagan Romali Knows a Thing or Two…
. . . about turning challenges into opportunities. Born in Kentucky, she’s moved around a bit.
“I’ve been all over. . . I’ve lived in over thirty places so my home is where I’m standing.”
The LBCC website lists a long resume of personal accomplishments for Dr. Romali. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University, an MBA from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University. Dr. Romali also served as an adjunct instructor at Southwestern Community College and National University. There’s more HERE. Her drive to succeed came from a strong family environment and people who believed in her. They taught her about responsibility, honesty, and confidence. Her father and mother (who returned to college at 55 years of age to get her Bachelor’s degree) strongly “drilled” a college future into Dr. Romali, “Go to college. You will go to college.”
The Non-Traditional Students of LBCC
Dr. Reagan Romali, in her recent State of the College address, spoke about the fact that many students at LBCC don’t fit the traditional model of just being out of high school. The median age of the over 21-thousand students is mid-twenties. What you may not know are the number of students with children, immigrants, that 59% of the student body is Latino, homeless (10%), students with full-time jobs, those that come from poverty, and those who are re-entering society from prison.
“I see it as a great melting pot of opportunities for students to learn from each other and be stronger because they meet people from all walks of life.”
Listen to the Palacio Podcast for the interview with LBCCD Superintendent-President Dr. Reagan Romali as discusses Guided Pathways to the future, the upcoming Welcome Center for incoming students, and how increasing the graduation/transfer rate from the current 39.5% is a major goal for her second anniversary in May 2019.
For More Information
. . . on Long Beach City College, visit HERE. To review the LBCC Student Success Scorecard, visit HERE.
