Dr. Lonita Cordova is a transformative executive leader and scholar-practitioner with over 22 years of experience spanning the California Community College system, K-12 education, and graduate-level instruction. An Orange County native, she serves as the President of Saddleback College, effective July 1, 2026. Prior to this presidency, she provided executive leadership at San Joaquin Delta College, aligning complex administrative operations with a human-centered mission. Her extensive tenure also includes pivotal administrative and instructional leadership roles at Modesto Junior College and the Merced Community College District.
An active voice in statewide leadership, Dr. Cordova is the past president of the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) Executive Board and chaired its Regional Membership Council. Dedicated to the classroom, she has also served as an Associate Part-Time Professor in the Graduate Educational Counseling program at California State University, Stanislaus, since 2017.
Dr. Cordova holds a Ph.D. in General Psychology from Walden University, an M.S. in Educational Counseling from National University, and a B.S. in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland. She maintains multiple California credentials in teaching and administrative services.
