Mike Brandy is interim chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, one of the most prominent community college districts in the nation, serving more than 44,000 students with a total budget of approximately $335 million. He assumed the position on July 1, 2009, succeeding Martha J. Kanter, who left the district to serve as under secretary of education in the administration of President Barack Obama.
Until retiring in May 2007, Brandy had served the district for a decade. He worked nearly five years as Foothill-De Anza’s vice chancellor of business services, leading the development and implementation of business and fiscal services in support of the district’s mission, and more than five years as vice president of finance and college services at De Anza College.
A strong focus on student success is one of the hallmarks of his administrative style.
Brandy was an early advocate of promoting environmental sustainability as part of the campus renovations funded by voter-approved bond measures 1998 and 2006. He oversaw planning for the Measure E and Measure C bond programs, as well as the implementation of Measure E. This included construction of the Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies, the first community college building in the nation to be certified “platinum”–the highest rating–under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED©) national green building standards.
In the two years before his selection as interim chancellor, Brandy advised the district on budget issues and helped plan for a partnership with the University of California-Santa Cruz and other higher education partners to develop a research and educational community at NASA Ames Research Park.
Brandy has a deep knowledge of public education in California, having worked in the field for more than 30 years. Before joining Foothill-De Anza, he spent a decade as business manager of the Los Gatos Union High School District. He also worked for the West Valley-Mission Community College District, serving as vice chancellor of business services.
Throughout his career, Brandy has served on a number of statewide finance committees and accreditation teams, and held executive leadership positions with the Association of Chief Business Officers (ACBO) and other professional groups. He served as director of ACBO’s annual eight-day training institute for business services staff in the California community colleges for the past three years. He is widely respected for his strategic fiscal abilities and ability to clearly explain complex financial matters.
Brandy holds a master’s of business administration degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from California State University, Northridge.
|
