Izumi Leaves Community College Board After 11 Years
The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges honored Lance Izumi with a resolution for his 11-year tenure on the board. From left: State Chancellor Brice Harris, Izumi, Board President Geoffrey Baum, and Board Vice President Cecilia Estolano.
SACRAMENTO — The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges on May 19 honored departing board member Lance Izumi for his 11 years of service.
Izumi is Koret senior fellow and senior director of education studies at the Pacific Research Institute. He served as a member of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges from 2004, when he was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, to this year, including two terms as president from 2008 to 2009.
During his tenure, he directed that a student success task force be commissioned to improve student outcomes. The task force’s recommendations, which were approved by Izumi and his board colleagues, resulted in the enactment of the Student Success Act of 2012.
He directed the California Community Colleges to establish more veterans centers and to develop a statewide plan to address the needs of student veterans. He was also instrumental in the creation and board adoption of a strategic plan for the community college system.
Izumi is the current chair of the board of directors of the Foundation for California Community Colleges, a non-profit that supports the community college system. He is the president of the advisory board for the Army’s Sacramento Recruiting Battalion and is a member of the executive committee for the Army’s Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion.
He is co-executive producer of the award-winning 2009 documentary “Not as Good As You Think: The Myth of the Middle-Class School,” based on his 2007 book, and also appears in Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim’s 2010 education documentary “Waiting for Superman.”
The New York Times selected Izumi to be one of its online contributors on the presidential race and education issues in 2008, and posted “Sweden’s Choice,” a video op-ed that he wrote and narrated, in 2009.
He served as a member of the California Postsecondary Education Commission and as member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission’s California Advisory Committee. In 2003, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige appointed him to the Teacher Assistance Corps, a task force of experts assigned to review state teacher quality plans as they relate to the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Previously, Izumi worked as chief speechwriter and director of writing and research for Gov. George Deukmejian and as speechwriter to U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III in President Ronald Reagan’s administration.
He served as a commissioned officer, holding the rank of captain, in the California State Military Reserve. During his service, he was awarded the Commendation Medal and the Achievement Ribbon.
A graduate of Gardena High School, he received his bachelor’s degree in economics and history from UCLA, his master’s degree in political science from UC Davis, and his juris doctorate from the USC School of Law.