EL CAMINO COLLEGE : Administrator Fallo to Be New President

El Camino College announced Tuesday that one of its own, administrator Thomas M. Fallo, will become president of the college effective July 1.

Fallo, 48, of Manhattan Beach will be the fifth president of El Camino since it opened in 1946. He has been vice president of administrative services since 1991, heading El Camino’s purchasing, safety, information systems, bookstore, research and accounting departments.

He succeeds Sam Schauerman, who is retiring next month after eight years as president. Schauerman also served in the college’s administration before becoming president.

When he takes office in July, Fallo said he expects the most pressing problem will be formulating a budget. During July and August, the state decides how much money will be allocated to education and salaries.

The Board of Trustees announced that they selected Fallo from among five finalists for the $108,000-per-year position at a special meeting Tuesday. About 26,000 students attend the school, making it one of the largest single-campus community colleges in the United States.

Before he was hired at El Camino, Fallo was vice president of administrative services for the Glendale Community College District for two years. He was acting chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District in 1987-88, where he had served in management positions since 1972.

He also taught at Los Angeles City College and in the Graduate School of Education at Pepperdine University. He hopes to complete his doctorate in education at Pepperdine during the next two years.