John Forbes

John has thirty years of experience as an educator, with a bachelor's in Physics, a master’s in Education Administration, and a doctorate in Education Leadership.

His journey in education began with a student teaching assignment in Chicago Public Schools at Austin Community Academy. He then taught in Indiana and Fresno, California, seeing first-hand the power of education to change lives. He also observed first hand the great disparities of educational opportunity throughout our nation. The lessons he learned from students shaped his passion and urgency for implementing high quality education for students in underserved communities.

Currently Vice President of Academic Affairs at the award-winning Moorpark College for the past four years, John previously served as Dean of Instruction for the STEM division of Clovis Community College, one of the fastest growing community colleges in California. He also supported State Center Community College District as Interim Chief Technology Officer during his tenure in Fresno, CA.

John's background includes the unique perspective of holding positions as principal of Fresno High School and Dean of Curriculum and Instruction for the CART High School, which is a nationally-renowned reform-oriented high school (www.cart.org).

Always available to talk about music, books, or his koi pond waterfall, John lives in Thousand Oaks, CA with his wife and enjoys seeing his adult sons progress in their careers in engineering and biology.