DeLong, Diamond appointed to VP roles

On February 10, 2021, President Kavalhuna announced changes to his cabinet with the following message to HFC employees.

I am excited to announce two position changes today.

Effective February 8, Rhonda DeLong will serve as Vice President of Marketing and Communications. As you know from the position announcement I sent about Rhonda last April, she has continued to take on new duties and provide strategic leadership in all areas of marketing and communications since joining the College in 2017.

The process for creating new executive positions at the College is rigorous and extensive. The expectations for Cabinet members are high. I would not have undertaken this process with the Cabinet and with Rhonda if I did not believe she was the right person at the right time for this role. All members of the Cabinet participated actively in assessing the position and Rhonda’s capabilities to succeed in this role. I also sought feedback from the Board of Trustees, Collective Bargaining Unit Presidents, and leaders in the College. They all support assigning Rhonda this important new role. I have come to know Rhonda well since 2018, and I am confident that she will serve the College and her teammates well. I am glad to have her as part of the Cabinet.

I specifically developed this new position with the notion that our College can improve the way we communicate internally and promote our life-changing offerings externally. I am immensely proud of the work you all do, and I am convinced that we can enhance and improve the way we show our value to our community and region. This new role will enable our College to organize and unify our public communications and marketing so we will become known as a top regional choice for education, careers, and partnerships.

In her new role, Rhonda will continue to oversee the Graphics Team, Print Shop, and Writer. She will also oversee the College’s Recruitment/Admissions Team and the College’s Web Team. We expect to add new team members to increase capacity in marketing.

The second position announcement is that Holly Diamond has accepted my request to serve as Interim Vice President of Student Affairs. I am grateful to all of my teammates in the Student Affairs division, and I appreciate all of you who provided feedback to me on this important question of interim leadership. Holly will serve in this role until the Cabinet and I have had time to fully evaluate the structure and function of the Student Affairs division. We will then announce a long-term plan for the division.

Holly has demonstrated exceptional skill and leadership at the College for many years, overseeing the Call Center, Early Alert, Enrollment Services, Orientation, Registration and Records, and Veteran Services. She will continue to oversee these areas, as well as Counseling, Advising and Student Success, Athletics, Career Services, Student Activities, and Student Conduct and Compliance. Holly also serves as co-chair of the Strategic Enrollment Management Team. She has shown unwavering dedication to students and to her colleagues. She is committed to strengthening our enrollment and student services through teamwork and innovation. I am grateful for her willingness to serve in this role.

Many of you already have strong relationships with Rhonda and Holly. I encourage you to continue working closely with them and their teams as we focus on our number-one goal of student success.

Russ Kavalhuna
President
President@hfcc.edu