Trustees Name Substitute for Ailing Acting Chancellor

South Orange County Community College District’s trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to appoint Richard A. Jones as substitute-acting chancellor to fill in for the ailing Cedric Sampson.

Jones has been acting vice chancellor for education services for the past few months, overseeing the district’s revised master plan.

He retired after serving as chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College District and president-superintendent of Clark College in Vancouver, Wash. He has been president of several two-year colleges, including San Jose City College.

After retiring, Jones took a temporary job as acting dean at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, which, along with Irvine Valley College, makes up the district.

“The first time we used him he was so well-liked we found another position for him,” said Nancy Padberg, president of the trustees.

The board gave Jones his unwieldy title to give him the powers of the chancellor, the district’s top administrator, without making the job permanent, Padberg said.

Sampson has been on medical leave for about a month. Padberg said she does not know when he will return.

Sampson has been chancellor for two years, coming from the Redwood Community College District, where he served as president-superintendent for 10 years.