Golden West College Picks New President : Education: Trustees unanimously voted to promote Philip Westin, vice president of instruction, to the post. He starts his job on July 1.

Philip Westin, vice president of instruction at Golden West College, will become the college’s new president, officials announced Thursday night.

The new chief executive of the two-year community college will succeed Judith Valles, who is retiring next month after five years as president.

The trustees of Coast Community College District, which governs Golden West, voted unanimously to promote Westin following a special board meeting Thursday night. He will begin his new post on July 1.

Westin began his tenure as vice president of the college in August, 1991, and previously served as executive director of the South Bay Center for the Arts and dean of fine arts at El Camino College. He was also a professor of music at Cerritos College and a music conductor in Norwalk and Torrance.

After receiving his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Southern California in music composition, he obtained his doctorate in education from the University of La Verne.

Trustees of the community college district interviewed numerous candidates for the Golden West presidency during recent months. A district spokeswoman said Westin was selected Thursday night over three other finalists.

Paul G. Berger, president of the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees, said Westin will “provide the leadership for Golden West to continue its growing education prominence.”

Golden West has about 15,000 students. Its two sister institutions in Coast Community College District are Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa and Coastline Community College, “a college without a campus” that is based in Fountain Valley.