ACCCA provides California Administrators with timely news and information about legislation, policy and other issues that impact your college and your career. In addition to this up-to-the-minute website, we keep you in the loop with email alerts.
47th Annual ACCCA Conference
February 22-24, 2023
Thank you for attending the 2023 ACCCA Conference!
Enjoy some of the amazing photos captured by Ed Tyler Photography
Daisy Gonzales, Ph.D., serves as the Interim chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the largest system of public higher education in the United States. She leads the 116-community college system, which serves over 1.8 million students with a student-centered mindset and a goal of creating equitable and supportive ecosystems where students thrive.
She is an experienced and unapologetic advocate for student success. Born into an immigrant family in Southern California and raised as a former foster youth, Dr. Gonzales was among the first in her family to attend college. She credits her time in the Los Angeles foster care system and schools as having shaped her views of the integral role public institutions play in the lives of students and the economic development in a community.
Dr. Gonzales was appointed interim chancellor in August 2022 by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. As the CEO of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, her primary duties involve implementing the Vision for Success, a bold systemwide plan that seeks to reduce time to completion, increase degree and credential attainment, boost transfer to the University of California and California State University campuses, and provide Californians with the necessary job skills to find good-paying careers.
Her leadership as interim chancellor continues to break barriers as she is the first Latina and only the second woman to serve in the role. Dr. Gonzales works to empower students through her focus on equity and commitment to ensure students are at the center of every discussion and decision.
In addition to overseeing operational and strategic policy planning for the Chancellor’s Office, Dr. Gonzales has extensive experience leading transformational change across California’s 116 community colleges.
Dr. Gonzales is a proud community college alum of Los Angeles Valley College. She graduated from Mills College with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in sociology from UC Santa Barbara. She is also a former Aspen Institute presidential fellow, serves on the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and is the co-founder of the Sacramento Latina Leaders Network and the California Community Colleges Women’s Caucus. In 2021, she received the California Legislative Women’s Caucus Woman of the Year Award from Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, in recognition of her leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Abdimalik Buul, the Visiting Executive of Educational Excellence, and Equal Employment Opportunity Programs at the California Community Colleges (CCCCO.)
Dr. Joshua Moon Johnson (he or they) is a best-selling author, social justice consultant, and speaker who has dedicated his career and life to LGBTQ+ advocacy, racial justice, and education reform. Dr. Moon-Johnson serves as the Vice President of Student Services at the College of San Mateo, and he previously served in diverse roles including the Assistant Dean/Director of the Multicultural Student Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Director of the LGBTQ Center at UCSB. Joshua’s understanding of identity, equity, and conflict has led him to a career educating on topics of social justice and has led to
becoming a best-selling author with his first book, Beyond Surviving: From Religious Oppression to Queer Activism, which was also ranked #3 on Book Authority’s 20 Best-Selling LGBT Activism Books of All Time. Joshua also published Queer People of Color in Higher Education in 2017, and his newest book, Queer & Trans Advocacy in the Community College, is out now.
Joshua received a doctorate in higher education and a certificate in LGBT studies from Northern Illinois University, and a master’s degree in social sciences, student affairs, and diversity from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Joshua also has a master’s degree in marketing from The University of Alabama as well as a bachelor’s in business from the University of South Alabama.
Joshua was also a faculty member with Concordia University-Portland’s Ed.D. Program, UW-Madison, Semester at Sea, and Brooks Institute of Art. He previously hosted a weekly public affairs radio talk show on 91.9 FM, KCSB Santa Barbara called Check Ya’Self, which critically examined media and popular culture through a social justice lens.
Joshua currently serves as a board member and equity team lead for the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA), and he previously served as the Vice President of the Board for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. Joshua regularly speaks and consults on topics related to LGBTQ+ Inclusion, bias and hate, social justice education, and employee training on DEI. He has presented, consulted, and been a keynote at institutions, companies, and conferences around the country.
Dr. Kyle A. Reyes currently serves as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Utah Valley University (UVU)—the largest university in the state of Utah with over 43,000 students. Before this appointment in October 2022, Dr. Reyes served for five years as VP of Student Affairs and from 2014-2017, Kyle served as UVU’s Senior Diversity & Inclusion Officer. In that role, he led the development and implementation of UVU’s nationally recognized Strategic Inclusion Plan consisting of nearly 40 initiatives focused on making UVU a more inclusive campus. He has been at UVU for 19 years in various offices and programs: TRIO Upward Bound, GEAR UP, Multicultural Student Services, Student Success & Retention, the School of Education, and the Office of the President.
Dr. Reyes is also a tenured Associate Professor of Education at UVU and taught courses in Multicultural Education, Family & Community Partnerships, and Arts-based Integration. His research focuses on arts-based student empowerment; leadership for equity and access; and institution-wide inclusion and diversity strategic planning.
Kyle has consulted with, and presented to, organizations in 27 states* and Canada in various sectors including: K-12 education, higher education, business, community task forces, and faith groups. He has given more than 550 presentations over the past 17 years on issues of diversity, inclusion, art, cultural competence, voice, identity, multiculturalism, and leadership.
In addition to serving on the
board of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education, Kyle serves on the Utah Governor’s Multicultural Commission. He is the past president of the Utah chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education. Dr. Reyes has also served as the co-chair of the College Access Network for the Utah System of Higher Education and a member of the board of directors for the United Way of Utah County and American Indian Services.
Dr. Reyes has received a number of awards including: UVU’s Board of Trustees Award; the Exemplary Educator for Diversity Award from the National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME); Inclusion Cultivates Excellence Award from CUPA-HR, Utah Valley Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40; and the top 50 Diversity Executives in the Nation from Diversity MBA Magazine. Kyle received his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah and was the recipient of the Bennion Morgan Fellowship.
Most importantly, Kyle and his wife, Michele, have seven children and deliberately try to build their cultural heritage (Hawaiian, Navajo, Filipino, Japanese) into their family learning and engagement.
*States include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
HOTEL UPDATE: We are pleased to share that registration is very strong for the ACCCA 2023 Conference. However, the high numbers have also resulted in our dedicated room block selling out early.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to work on setting up an overflow group block at one or more area hotels. Due to high demand in the area, we are still working to make that happen. In the meantime, we encourage you to make your own reservations directly with another local hotel through a hotel website or through a hotel booking site like www.trivago.com, www.expedia.com, or www.priceline.com. Rates will vary. Should we be able to set up a group block at a later date, you may choose to switch at that time if desired.
The hotels closest to Omni Rancho Las Palmas, our host hotel, include…
WALKABLE
Hilton Garden Inn Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rancho Mirage – Palm Springs Area, an IHG Hotel
SHORT DRIVE OR LYFT/UBER
South of Omni off Hwy 111
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Palm Desert
HOTEL PASEO, Autograph Collection
Holiday Inn Express Palm Desert, an IHG Hotel
Best Western Plus Palm Desert Resort
Embassy Suites by Hilton Palm Desert
East of Omni
Marriott’s Desert Springs Villas II
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
Hilton Grand Vacations Club Palm Desert
The Westin Desert Willow Villas, Palm Desert
We will post an update here one week from today, on Tuesday, January 24th.
Omni Rancho Las Palmas
41000 Bob Hope Dr.
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
(760) 568-2727
Omni Rancho Las Palmas Website
Room Rate: $229 plus 13.45% tax single/double (note: rack rate is $497 or higher as of 11/8/22); honored three days prior and post as well based on availability.
OMNI Resort Fee: Negotiated to $7.00 per night (standard rate was $38 at time of contract). Fee includes toll free, credit card, and local calling, entrance to our fitness center, in-room high-speed Internet access, in-room coffee and tea, overnight self-parking, access to Splashtopia for registered resort guests and daily newspaper available at Front Desk.
Cut-off Date: Reservations must be made by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2023 in order to secure the group rate.
Cancellation Policy: Reservations canceled within 72 hours of arrival date will be charged a one-night room and tax cancellation fee.
Early Departure Fee: Guests who check out before departure date stated at time of reservation or at check-in will be charged a one-night room and tax early departure fee.
Check-In/Out Time: 4:00 p.m./11:00 a.m.
Airport: Fly in and out of Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) or Ontario International Airport (ONT).
Ground Transportation:
From PSP (Distance: 14.4 miles) — Lyft/Uber: Approximately $35 one way; Taxi: Approximately $70-85 one way
From ONT (Distance: 80.6 miles) –Car rental is the best option.
Parking: Complimentary self-parking or valet parking negotiated.
Internet: Complimentary wireless in guest rooms.
For questions regarding challenges with room reservations, please contact MeetingWise LLC (ACCCA’s meeting management partner) at (310) 937-9473 or admin@meetingwise.net.
Please note that the agenda is subject to change and that presenter cancellation, should it happen at any time, is out of our control.
Tuesday, February 21st
Pre-Conference Activities:
8a-4:15p Management Essentials Workshop (separate registration required)
11:30a-4p Great Deans 2022-23 Cohort Final Session
1p-3:30p Aspiring CEOs Program
Wednesday, February 22nd
7:45a Conference Check-In
8a-5p Mock Interviews
10a ACCCA Marketplace – Connect with Vendors
10a Opening General Session & Keynote Presentation – Dr. Kyle Reyes
11:30a-5:30p Concurrent Sessions
12:45-1:45p Lunch & Networking
5:30p-7:30p Annual “FUN’D” Raiser Reception
Thursday, February 23rd
8a Conference Check-in
8a-9a Breakfast
9am General Session
10:45-11:45a Concurrent Sessions
11:45a-12:45p Lunch, Award Presentations & Networking
12:45p General Session – Dr. Abdulmalik Buul & Joshua Moon Johnson
2:15p-4:30p Concurrent Sessions
4:45p-5:30p Association Business Meeting, Legislative Report & Member Recognition
5:30p President’s Reception
Friday, February 24th
7:30a Conference Check-In
7:30a-8:30a Breakfast
8:30-9:30a General Session – Affiliate Summit
9:45a-12p Concurrent Sessions
12p Conference Adjourns
VIEW SPONSOR PACKAGE DETAILS HERE
ACCCA, the Association of California Community College Administrators, is the foremost member-supported professional organization for administrators and managers of California’s community college campuses. Comprising 73 districts and 116 colleges, the California Community Colleges make up the largest higher education system in the nation — providing a gateway to higher education for over 2.1 million students per year. As you will see when you tour this site, ACCCA seeks to provide its members with services, benefits, products and programs that will enhance their professional lives.
Attended by hundreds of community college leaders throughout the state of California, the annual ACCCA Conference is our biggest event of the year! And… it’s the only place you will reach a variety of top-level administrators – administrative services, fiscal, human resources, student services, technology and more – at the same conference.
SPONSORSHIPS ARE NOW CLOSED.
Thank you for making plans to join us next week for the 47th Annual Conference in Rancho Mirage!
Following are some logistical details that will be helpful to you in your final travel planning. As always, if you have questions in advance or need our assistance, we are a phone call or email away.
For Assistance, Please Contact ACCCA Directly
- 916-443-3559 [MAIN OFFICE FOR ALL QUESTIONS BY PHONE]
- Registration Questions contact admin@accca.org
- Billing Questions contact membership@accca.org
We encourage you to read through the information below at your earliest convenience and we look forward to seeing you next week! Safe travels!
BALANCE DUE
If you did not pay online and have not mailed your registration fee to ACCCA please bring your payment with you. Any unpaid balances will be invoiced immediately following the conference.
ON-SITE COVID 19 PROTOCOLS / SAFETY GUIDELINES
The ACCCA 2023 Conference is following CDC, state and local guidelines; masking is optional. Hand sanitizer is provided throughout the meeting space and we encourage frequent hand washing.
MEAL FUNCTIONS AND SPECIAL DIETARY / ALLERGY NEEDS
All food and beverage functions will be noted in the conference app with menus posted. If you included special dietary / allergy needs when you registered, we have made note and you may go to the Information Desk for assistance should you have challenges at any of the meal functions. Meals are buffet style and items are labeled as appropriate.
CONFERENCE LOCATION
Omni Rancho Las Palmas
41000 Bob Hope Dr.
(760) 568-2727
PARKING
We have negotiated complimentary self-parking and valet parking options at the Omni.
HOTEL CHECK-IN/OUT
Check in time is 4 p.m., but we encourage you to check in early and store your bag until your room is ready. Leave your cell number and they will text you when your room is ready. Check out time is 11:00 a.m. at the hotel. We encourage you to check out early and have the bell staff store your luggage as needed in order to avoid long lines at the conclusion of the conference.
CONFERENCE INCLUSIONS
All conference meals, materials and sessions are included in the registration fee. Individual meal tickets may be purchased at the ACCCA Desk for your guests.
PROGRAM OF EVENTS
A current at a glance agenda is available on the ACCCA website. You will be provided with a conference bulletin at check-in which includes a copy of the agenda so there is no need to print. Presenter details and session descriptions will be available in the conference app.
The first general session kick-off & welcome address of the 2023 Conference is set for 10:00 am on Wednesday, February 22nd, and the conference concludes at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, February 24th. You won’t want to miss a minute of this jam-packed agenda, please plan to attend the entire conference!
CONFERENCE APP
The link to the NEW conference app will be shared with all conference participants by or before noon on Monday, February 20th. Be on the lookout! We strongly encourage you to download the app to enhance your experience. You’ll be able to plan your day with a personalized schedule and browse sponsors & exhibitors, maps, general info and much more. We will be updating the app regularly with any change and updates – before and during the conference – so be sure to check it out daily.
MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALS WORKSHOP
This year’s pre-conference experience is the Management Essentials Workshop happening from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21st at the conference hotel and requires separate sign up and payment (it is not included in the conference fee). This event is close to its capacity for attendees, if you are interested in attending this workshop, please contact events@accca.org to check availability.
NAME BADGES
Please wear your name badge throughout the conference, as it is your ticket to sessions and meal functions. You must have an official ACCCA badge in order to participate in meals included in the registration fee unless you have purchased individual meal tickets.
ATTIRE
The meeting is business casual. Room temperatures may vary so plan accordingly. We suggest comfortable walking shoes for moving around the property and a light sweater or jacket.
INTERNET ACCESS
We have arranged complimentary Wi-Fi in the meeting space for the conference.
Network: Omni Meeting
Password: ACCCA2023
OPPORTUNITIES TO WIN
EXHIBITOR PASSPORT – Learn more about our sponsors and have the opportunity to win big prizes! It’s a #winwin! As you visit each exhibitor booth on Wednesday and Thursday, they will stamp your Passport. You will get one ticket for every stamp you earn! Tickets must be submitted into the drawings by 2:15 pm on Thursday, February 23rd. Winners will be announced during the closing session on Friday morning. Great prizes await you!
FUN’D RAISER RAFFLE – Purchase 50/50 raffle tickets for $5 each or five for $20 and support the Mentor Program Scholarship Fund and the ACCCA PAC. Tickets may be purchased at the ACCCA registration desk or from members wearing ticket aprons from 2:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22nd. The winning number will be drawn at 8:55 a.m. on February 23rd in the Las Palmas Ballroom, so be sure to have your tickets with you and be on time to the session. The lucky winner will receive half the money raised through ticket sales. You must be present to win.
PHOTO RELEASE
ACCCA and its legal representatives and assigns, retain the right and permission to publish, without charge, photographs taken during this event. These photographs may be used in publications, including electronic publications, or in audio-visual presentations, promotional literature, advertising, or in other similar ways.
QUESTIONS
If you have questions prior to or during the event, please email events@accca.org. If you need to reach us in an emergency during the program (2/21-2/24), please text (preferable) or call (916) 628-1201 and to reach Alex Karatti. She will be happy to assist you!
