Insider Chosen as New Moorpark College Chief

Moorpark College’s No. 2 administrator, a veteran educator with a reputation as a consensus-builder and strong student advocate, was tapped Wednesday to become the institution’s next president.

Eva Conrad, executive vice president since 1997, was selected for the $138,744-a-year position over one other finalist, Vicky Smith, a Cornell University program director.

College district Chancellor Phillip Westin offered the job to Conrad, 56, after interviewing the two candidates and observing them at an on-campus forum held Monday. Westin said Conrad’s status as an inside candidate gave her the edge.

“I thought the nod should go to Eva, because we already know Eva. She’s here, she already knows the people on campus and she can land with her feet running,” Westin said.

Conrad succeeds James Walker, who retires June 30 after 10 years as president. People involved in the nationwide search, which began last fall and drew more than 50 applicants, said they wanted Westin to select someone who would continue Walker’s style of open, team-oriented leadership.

Norman Nagel, president of the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees, said Conrad fits that bill. “She is the right person in the right place at the right time to take Moorpark

Ben Bergstrom, Moorpark’s student body president, agreed that Conrad, who holds a PhD in psychology, was a wise choice.

“Because she has worked at the school, she knows the vision that Dr. Walker has had and she can pick up the ball and carry it,” Bergstrom said. “The college, generally speaking, was definitely for her. She was the local favorite.”

Bergstrom described Conrad as a caring and committed manager who values the opinions of students. Conrad’s commitment to Moorpark is evident in her frequent attendance at student-run events, Bergstrom said, and in her and her husband’s decision to endow a scholarship for student government leaders in honor of their son, Steve Rafter, who was killed in December 2000 in an automobile accident at the age of 17.

Conrad will be assuming office at a pivotal point in the history of the community college, Ventura County’s largest in terms of enrollment and most highly regarded in terms of graduation and university transfer rates. The 14,538-student campus is close to capacity and continues to face enrollment increases. And though recent passage of a districtwide bond measure will help finance projects to ease overcrowding, Conrad will need to ensure that the college runs smoothly as it grows.

According to Westin, Conrad’s familiarity with upcoming projects--including building satellite campuses in Conejo Valley and Simi Valley--makes her well-suited to that task. “Everything that is in the planning, she has been part of,” he said.

Conrad received her doctorate and master’s degrees in psychology from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama. She spent 22 years as a professor and administrator at San Bernardino Valley College before coming to Ventura County in 1997. As Moorpark’s executive vice president, she has overseen academic affairs and student services such as counseling, financial aid and admissions. In February, she was awarded a Leadership Award for Administrative Excellence from the Assn. of California Community College Administrators.

Conrad, a Westlake Village resident, said she was thrilled by her selection. “I’ve done nothing but walk around and hug people since I got here” Wednesday, she said.