Irvine : New College President to Take Over on June 1

Ronald Kong, dean of Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, is the new president of Irvine Valley College.

The Saddleback Community College District, which governs Irvine Valley College, announced that Kong, 49, will assume his new post June 1. Kong succeeds Ed Hart, who retired from the presidency at Irvine Valley last November and is now president emeritus.

Irvine Valley, which has 4,766 students, is one of two colleges in Saddleback Community College District. The older college, Saddleback College, is in Mission Viejo. Irvine Valley formerly was the Irvine-based “North Campus of Saddleback,” but it became a separate, independent community college on July 1, 1985.

Kong’s salary as president will be $63,907; his salary at Cosumnes River College was $59,800.

Cosumnes River, which has an enrollment of 7,211 students, is one of the two-year institutions in the Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento. Kong has been dean of the college at Cosumnes River since 1985. Before going to Cosumnes River College, Kong was dean of instruction at American River College in Sacramento for three years.

Kong started at American River College in 1965 as a biology instructor. In 1977 he became associate dean of instruction at that college and was promoted to dean of instruction in 1982.

Kong holds degrees from the University of Hawaii and Oregon State University. In addition to his education duties, he and his wife have operated Kong’s Botanic Enterprises in the Sacramento area since 1971, and he served as an officer of the Superior chapter of the California Nurseryman’s Assn.

The Kongs, who plan to live in Irvine, have four sons and a daughter 18 to 26 years old.