Palomar College Superintendent/President Star Rivera-Lacey speaks during the grand opening of the San Marcos campus softball field on Jan. 22. (Palomar College photo)
Palomar Community College Superintendent/President Star Rivera-Lacey is leaving at the end of the month after four years with the district, she announced early Tuesday, Nov. 4.
It’s the second such high-profile departure in North San Diego County education in a month, following MiraCosta Community College Superintendent/President Sunita “Sunny” Cooke’s announced retirement Sept. 30.
News of Rivera-Lacey’s plans was broken ahead of her announcement by Palomar College student newspaper The Telescope, which reported that the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees voted 5-0 on Monday to hire her as that district’s deputy chancellor and provost.
Aside from Rivera-Lacey’s announcement to the college district community, there had been no public news release from Palomar as of Tuesday evening.
The Riverside district also had not yet published a news release. A recording and minutes of trustees’ Nov. 3 meeting also were not yet available to review for additional confirmation, although The Telescope’s news story included reporting from the meeting.
Rivera-Lacey was one of three finalists for the Riverside position, according to a webpage published by that district during its hiring process.
“As of November 30, 2025, I will be concluding my time as Superintendent/President to begin a new professional chapter as the first Deputy Chancellor/Provost at the Riverside Community College District,” Rivera-Lacey wrote in her message to the district. “I want to thank each of you for your unwavering dedication, collaboration, and care for our students and for one another. It is my deepest hope that Palomar College continues to shine as a model of excellence, innovation, and equity, remaining steadfast in its mission to empower students and transform lives.”
Palomar College’s Governing Board will launch a process to hire the district’s next leader.
Rivera-Lacey, an Oceanside native, joined Palomar as superintendent/president in summer 2021 after working as the vice president of student services at the San Diego College of Continuing Education, part of the San Diego Community College District. Before that, she was Palomar’s assistant superintendent/vice president of student services.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});