Dr. Jack Bessire is the President of Professional Personnel Leasing, Inc. He handles marketing, coordinates PPL activities, chairs board meetings, maintains a roster of interim administrators and consultants, prepares search proposals, and acts as a general contact person for PPL. He has conducted searches for Superintendent/Presidents at Siskiyou Joint CCD, Gavilan CCD, Marin CCD, Monterey Peninsula CCD, Hartnell CCD, and for President at Mission College. He has assisted with a number of vice presidential searches. He also prepared handbooks for West Valley-Mission CCD in human resources policies and grants administration. He retired from Monterey Peninsula College as the Acting Superintendent/President. Prior to that he was Assistant Superintendent and Vice President of Instruction and Student Services. While at MPC he developed and supervised a human resources department and was chief negotiator for the Governing Board. Prior to coming to MPC he held positions at Contra Costa College as Director of Research and Planning and as Director of Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences. He started his career at Pueblo College in Colorado as Associate Dean of Student Personnel. He earned a Doctorate in Education at the University of California, Berkeley in Administration and Higher Education. He holds a Master of Personnel Services degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado.

Mr. Sommer is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for PPL. He handles all fiscal and accounting responsibilities, including preparing contracts with clients, billing clients, paying consultants, filing tax statements, preparing fiscal reports, and monitoring all financial transactions. Mr. Sommer retired as the Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services at Ventura CCD. Since that time he has held numerous interim positions including the following: Interim Superintendent/President at Barstow CCD; Interim Dean of Instruction and Interim Dean of Administrative Services at West Hills CCD, and District Director of Business Services at San Jose/Evergreen CCD; Interim Dean of Vocational Education at Hartnell College; Interim Director of Financial Aid at Fresno City College; and, Interim Business Manager at Kings River (Reedley) College. Prior to becoming Vice Chancellor at Ventura CCD, he had extensive experience as a faculty member in agriculture, counseling, physical education, and athletics. He earned a B.A. from California State University, Fresno and a Masters in Education from the University of California, Davis.

Dr. Mitchell is Vice President of PPL and is responsible for educational master planning. She has written plans for several districts, including Modesto College, San Jacinto CCD, and Mt. San Antonio CCD. These plans form the basis for facilities planning. She has conducted recent searches for Superintendent/Presidents at Victor Valley Community College District and Cabrillo Community College District. Dr. Mitchell retired as the President/ Superintendent of Cuesta College prior to joining PPL. She has held administrative positions in student services, instruction, and community services in other California Community Colleges. Dr. Mitchell has extensive community college contacts. She is known for her leadership as demonstrated by her service as the President of the California Community College Chief Executive Officers. She earned a Doctorate of Education from the University of Southern California in Higher Education, a Master of Science degree in counseling from Dominican College, a Master of Arts degree in French from the University of Wisconsin, and a B.A. degree from DePauw University. She has studied abroad at the University of Grenoble in France and had a Postgraduate Fellowship to the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Dr. Carl is Vice president, Northern California Services. He was the Interim Superintendent/President in 2001-2002 at Siskiyou Joint CCD, and he served as the Interim Superintendent/President at Monterey Peninsula College in 2005-2006. He has conducted Superintendent/President searches for Shasta College , Palomar CCD, Feather River CCD, and Siskiyou Joint CCD. He also conducted the Chancellor search for San Jose-Evergreen CCD. He retired as SuperintendentlPresident of Mendocino College in 2001 after serving in that position for eleven years. Prior to that he was Executive Dean of Instruction at Mendocino. He taught at Mendocino College, University of Southern California, and Cypress College. He was Associate Dean of Instruction at Cypress College from 1968-78. Dr. Ehmann earned his Ph.D. in Administration of Higher Education from the Claremont Graduate University with an emphasis in politics, anthropology, organizational behavior and linguistics. He earned., an M.A. in Physical Education/Exercise Physiology from California State University, Long Beach, and a B.A. in Physical Education from California State University, Long Beach.

Dr. Don Averill is the Vice President of Southern California Services. In that role he assists community college districts with interim administrator needs, consulting projects, and executive searches. Dr. Donald F. Averill has 47 years of experience in education including 14 years in secondary education and 33 years in the community colleges. This experience includes an extensive background and leadership in human resources, career and technical education, legislation, construction management, technology and accreditation. He retired as Chancellor of San Bernardino CCD in June 2008. Prior to that, Dr. Averill was CEO of Palo Verde College, Vice Chancellor, Educational Services for the Coast Community College District, Dean of Instruction for Vocational Education and Vice president, Human Resources and Technology at Glendale CCD.

His accomplishments at these institutions are legendary, culminating most recently in a building being named after him at San Bernardino.

Dr. Averill earned his Doctoral degree in Educational Management from the University of Laverne; his BA and MA from California State University Los Angeles.

Professionally, Dr. Averill has been President of the California Association of Occupational Administrators, Chair of the Occupational Education Coalition, Chair of a Legislative Oversight Committee on Contract Education, a chair of the Southern 30’s Human Resources Exchange, and Chair of the Association of ACCCA Human Resources Commission. He is past President of ACCCA and Harry Buttimer Award winner. He served two years as the Chair of the Economic Development Network of California.