Chancellor's Office

Melissa Moreno, J.D.

Chancellor

Melissa came to the California Community College system in 2008 after 23 years as a small business owner in law, hospitality, and real estate. She joined the Santa Barbara Community College District (SBCCD) as a founding Director of the national award-winning Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC). She created leading-edge experiential components for the Center, such as the Enlightened Entrepreneurship lecture series which featured luminaries such as the founders of Patagonia and Deckers Outdoor Corporation, and created the Enterprise Launch program where students engage in the rapid development of a product or service in a single semester. She authored the Practical Guide to a Rapid Startup which shares the success of the Enterprise Launch program.

In 2014, she was promoted to Dean of the SBCC Business Division and launched the SBCC Career Skills Institute, an award-winning and innovative noncredit “flipped classroom” concept that partners with local employers and adult re-entry students to strengthen the skills of the local workforce. Industry partners include Cottage Health, LinkedIn, UCSB, other large local employers, and the Workforce Development Board. As dean, she worked with the SBCC Foundation to raise funds and support programs. For example, she helped secure a $1 million endowment for the business division, creating the Jack & Julie Nadel School of Business & Entrepreneurship.

In 2017, Melissa was promoted to Vice President to create the SBCC School of Extended Learning that continues to experience unprecedented growth and create more than $5 million in excess revenue in two years.

In 2020, Melissa joined the San Mateo County Community College District as the President of Skyline College. She brought transformative change to Skyline College through the People’s College Initiative, intended to create a lasting healthy campus climate by democratizing its governance structure to center the voices of the students, faculty, classified professionals, and management; and to bring cohesion to the antiracism and equity work – envisaged as the foundation of a civic-minded campus.

In 2023, Melissa was appointed Interim Chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District. Melissa brings a student-centered approach to the work of the San Mateo County Community College District and seeks to set the example for providing progressive and equitable educational opportunities for our most disproportionately impacted student populations in San Mateo County.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and Juris Doctorate from Santa Barbara College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the State of California.