Butte College gets new leader

Butte College Superintendent/President Diana Van Der Ploeg, who served in her post for the past eight years, will be handing over the reins this summer to Kimberly Perry, who was recently chosen to head up the community college as its sixth president.

Perry (pictured) was one of two candidates chosen during a nationwide search and forwarded to the Butte College Board of Trustees, which voted for her unanimously. Perry has served as vice president of academic affairs at Los Angeles City College since 2009, and brings with her 13 years of administration and higher-education experience, according to a press release.

“I am committed to being a student-centered leader who motivates all staff to attract and retain students through excellence in academic and applied instruction, strong systems of student services and support, and dynamic student life programs and activities,” Perry said in the release. She’ll take her new post for the 2011-12 school year. She is scheduled to earn $186,000 annually.