For Immediate Release
June 1, 2011

Cañada College President Thomas Mohr Retires After More Than 50 Years in Education

James W. Keller Has Been Named Interim President.

Cañada College President Thomas Mohr will retire at the end of June, ending more than 50 years of service in public education. Mohr, 77, said the decision to retire was made so that he could spend more time with his family.

Mohr was named interim president at the college in 2005 and was later named president in 2007. Prior to joining Cañada, Mohr served as superintendent of the San Mateo Union High School District where he pushed for the successful passage of a $137.5 million bond measure to refurbish and modernize six high schools in the district. He also led the high school district in a comprehensive planning process.

During his tenure at Cañada, Mohr helped guide the college and the San Mateo County Community College District through a comprehensive strategic planning and facilities planning process. He has worked to integrate the college with the local high schools and strengthen Cañada’s transfer programs. As part of this process, the school has developed a successful Honors Transfer Program; strengthened its University Center by adding additional university partners; and added full-time faculty focused on transfer-level curriculum.

“My time at Cañada has been absolutely wonderful,” Mohr said. “The people I have worked with at Cañada for the past six years have been like an extension of my family but I realize it’s time for me to devote more time to my wife, Sandy, and my children and grandchildren. I have loved being here. Canada is a treasure and it's been an immense privilege for me to be part of it."

James W. Keller, currently executive vice chancellor for finance and operations for the District, has been named interim president at the college. Keller has served in public education for more than 35 years, including holding positions at the Palo Alto Unified School District, West Valley-Mission Community College District, and Foothill-De Anza Community College District prior to coming to San Mateo in 2002. In addition, Keller has been an adjunct professor in the graduate school of education at Santa Clara University for the past 15 years. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stanford University, an MBA from Santa Clara University and a JD from Concord Law School.

For more information, contact Robert Hood, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at hoodr@smccd.edu or 306-3340