Dr. Rowena M. Tomaneng has been a multicultural educator in the California Community Colleges for 31 years. She is currently Deputy Chancellor for the California Community Colleges since 2024, responsible for implementing the Vision 2030 goals of increasing with equity student access, success, and support through three strategic directions: Equitable Baccalaureate Attainment, Workforce and Economic Development, and generative AI and the Future of Learning. She oversees seven divisions that support 116 colleges and 2.2. million students; Academic Affairs; Student Services; Workforce and Economic Development; Research, Analytics, and Data; Program Operations and System Initiatives; Equity, Innovation, and Institutional Effectiveness; and Strategic Educational and Workforce Initiatives.
Prior to joining the Chancellor’s Office, Dr. Tomaneng served as President of San José City College (SJCC) in the San José-Evergreen Community College District from 2020-2025 and President of Berkeley City College (BCC) in the Peralta Community College District from 2016-2020. Dr. Tomaneng previously served in multiple roles at De Anza College, in the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, including faculty, Division Dean, and Associate Vice President of Instruction.
Beyond the Chancellor’s, Dr. Tomaneng serves as President of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE) Board of Directors, executive member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), member of the American Council on Education Strengthening Institutions Roundtable, and Commissioner for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). Dr. Tomaneng’s teaching, research and publications explore human rights, social movements, transnational feminism, and racial equity in education. She has written and contributed to a variety of publications including the Journal of Multicultural Perspectives, Overcoming Educational Racism in the Community College, and Transformative Practices for Minority Student Success: Accomplishments of Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions.
A first-generation immigrant from the Philippines and community college transfer student from Cypress College, Dr. Tomaneng received her EdD from the University of San Francisco’s School of Education in International and Multicultural Education with a concentration in Human Rights Education, MA in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and BA in English from the University of California, Irvine.