Claudia Lourido-Habib

During her 21 years at community colleges, Dr. Claudia Lourido-Habib has demonstrated a steadfast dedication to expanding access to higher education as a means of enhancing students' social and economic mobility. As a first-generation community college graduate, Claudia has a personal commitment to the core mission of community colleges. Through collaborative efforts involving Porterville College constituents, local agencies, and industry partners, she has played a pivotal role in conceiving innovative programs and services tailored to underserved populations in rural communities.

A pioneer in the adoption of AB705 developmental education reform, Porterville College has gained recognition for its campus-wide enrollment of transfer-level English and math courses, earning Excellence in Placement and Equity Designation awards from the Campaign for College Opportunity.

Claudia’s academic journey spans a decade as a tenured faculty member in architecture and drafting, coupled with leadership roles within the Academic Senate. Her administrative experience encompasses diverse positions, including dean of Career Technical Education at Reedley College, dean of Instruction for Fine Performing Arts, Communication & Journalism at Fresno City College, vice president of student services at Reedley College, and vice president at Madera and Oakhurst Community College Centers. Since July 2019, she has been president of Porterville College.

Educationally, she holds a doctorate in education and leadership from California State University, Fresno. She earned a master’s in instructional technology at National University and a bachelor’s in interior design from Fresno State. Claudia’s journey into higher education followed nine years of work in the design industry.

Recognized for her active and visible leadership, Claudia has fostered robust connections both within and outside her institution. Her community engagement spans various board memberships, including the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, Tulare-Kings College and Career Collaborative, Porterville Unified School District Pathways Group, and Porterville College Foundation. Notably, she is an enthusiastic member of the Porterville Breakfast Rotary Club.