Posted on: Nov 20, 2020 12:00:00 AM
In: District, Grossmont
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Contact: Della Elliott della.elliott@gcccd.edu
Marsha Gable, Grossmont College’s vice president of Student Services, has been selected to serve as the college’s interim president beginning Jan. 1 following the retirement of Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh.
Gable, whose career in higher education over the past 18 includes eight months in 2019 and 2020 as interim president of San Diego Miramar College, will lead Grossmont College on an interim basis until a permanent president is selected next summer.
“Dr. Gable is a natural choice for interim president,” said Lynn Neault, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. “She has demonstrated that she has the skills and the talent to guide the college through this leadership transition.”
Neault noted that Gable, who has served as vice president of Student Services for the past five years, is familiar with the governance and culture of Grossmont College. Gable was also involved in the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation that will culminate with a follow-up visit in the spring.
In her role at the helm of Student Services, Gable has overseen the division’s administration, planning and fiscal management, and in recent months, led the efforts to pivot to a remote delivery of services to students due to the pandemic. She has collaborated with colleagues in numerous programs, including equity-focused initiatives such as Via Rapida and the First Year Experience programs for students from underserved communities.
“I very much look forward to my interim leadership role at Grossmont College and engaging with an excellent community of students, staff, faculty and administrators,” Gable said. “Communication, collaboration, equity and inclusion remain key in leading the college and I look forward to the collegial work ahead to address the continuing and new challenges with a team committed to and focused on equitable outcomes for our students.”
Prior to her post at Grossmont College, Gable served as dean of Counseling Services and Admissions and Records at Cuyamaca College; associate dean of Student Services EOPS/CARE at Santa Ana College, and associate director of University Outreach at CSU San Marcos, where she earned her bachelor’s in Social Sciences, and master’s in Sociological Practice. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Diego State University.
Gable’s instructional experiences include serving as an adjunct instructor at San Diego State University, MiraCosta and Mt. San Jacinto colleges, and CSU San Marcos.
Personal story
Gable was the product of a working-class family in Toledo, Ohio, with a father who only got as far as the eighth grade and was a city bus driver. Putting her own schooling on hold to care for her children, Gable’s mother returned to the classroom in her 40s and became a special education teacher, a job she held until she retired at age 73. Gable credits her parents for instilling the importance of education in her and four siblings, all of whom have college degrees.
Gable was initially failing college with little direction or personal insight in what she wanted to do. She said it took 15 years and returning to the classroom as a community college student to find her way.
Her academic rebirth is behind Gable’s commitment to ensuring the success of students who are less privileged, under-resourced, and at risk, which is the core philosophy of California community colleges.
“I was an underdog, and know that when you have support and people give you a chance to shine, it is amazing what happens,” she said.
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