LTCC hires Russi Egan as new VP of Administrative Services

During a special meeting of the Lake Tahoe Community College Board of Trustees on Thursday, Russi Egan was hired as the college's new Vice President of Administrative Services.

Egan is currently the Vice President of Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer at Palo Verde College in Blythe, Calif. She will begin her new job at LTCC on July 1.

The position has been vacant since Jeff DeFranco became the school's new Superintendent/President in January, 2017.

Palo Verde is one of 72 college districts in California’s community college system, and it is very similar in size, demographics and characteristics to LTCC. In addition to serving as Palo Verde’s VP, Egan has also served as Chief Business Officer since October 2012. Prior to that she was Palo Verde’s Fiscal Services Manager.

Egan earned her Master of Accountancy degree from National University, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Ashford University.

“Russi is highly qualified, comes with terrific references, and is already very well prepared for the position she’s taking on, given that she has similar responsibilities in her job at Palo Verde,” said DeFranco. “She works at a college that’s very much like LTCC, and she understands both the positives and the challenges that come with running a small college. She has a strong reputation at Palo Verde as a fixer who came in during an economically difficult time and turned things around. We’re really excited someone with her talents and skills is coming to LTCC.”

“I strongly believe in what LTCC is doing and the direction the college is taking,” said Egan. “This was the right time, and the right place. A small college can make a big difference in a small town, and I like that about LTCC. If we can educate more local people, then the whole town benefits from that and feels the effect. The University Center coming to LTCC will be a big part of that, and with the potential of student housing also coming to campus, there are just so many possibilities for LTCC to grow.”

In addition to her years of experience at Palo Verde, Egan also has significant state-level experience. She has been a member of the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) since 2006, and has been a member of their Management Development Committee and co-chair of ACCCA’s Admin 101 class for new college administrators since 2012. She’s also belonged to the Association of Chief Business Officials since 2006, and has served on their Facilities Task Force for more than a year. She’s also been a member of the Government Finance Officers Association and the Institute of Management Accountants since 2014. Egan is also an active volunteer, serving as a board member of the Desert Preparatory Academy, as the auditor for the Miss Blythe Organization, and as secretary of the Blythe Rotary Club since 2015.