By Kathryn Reed

Sometimes it takes just one application. That was the case for Tom Greene.

It means Lake Tahoe Community College’s vice president of Academic Affairs and Student Services is leaving. This summer he becomes president of American River College in Sacramento.

Tom Greene is leaving LTCC to be president of American River College. Photo/LTN file

“I didn’t send out a bunch of applications. This is the only one I sent out in California. I did because I know it’s a good fit and I worked in that district before,” Greene told Lake Tahoe News. “I know it’s a good college. It’s a real opportunity where the institution can invest in teaching and learning for students.”

Greene was hired in 2010 by LTCC from Sacramento City College where he had been associate vice president of Enrollment and Student Services. This was his second stint at LTCC. Previously he had been a counselor.

He doesn’t plan to make any dramatic changes at the get-go.

“It comes down to me to create the best conditions so that others can exercise their passion and talent. It’s more about removing barriers than building anything,” Greene said.

He will be going from one of the smallest community colleges in the state to one of the largest. American River College has 30,000 students. But Sac City was large, too, so he knows what he is getting into.

“At a smaller college you are forced to get involved with many things and into the granular detail,” Greene said. “At a larger college there are so many more layers. The people at a small college are the heart of the institution. My heart is still in Tahoe with the college and the people.”

Another thing he’ll miss is the outdoors – especially being able to mountain bike after work.

For the time being he will also be leaving his wife behind and returning to a commuter relationship. Suzanne Roberts is an English instructor at LTCC and intends to continue her position there through at least the next school year.

Before the couple married and Greene got the VP job at LTCC they did the Tahoe-Sac commute. It will resume again this summer. Greene does not have a definitive start date in Sacramento, but plans to leave LTCC in June.

“The college as a whole is very excited for Dr. Greene’s accomplishment. He is a very talented and exceptional college professional. While the faculty, staff, board, and students are saddened by losing Tom, we know he will go on to lead American River College in a manner that is student focused,” Kindred Murillo, president of LTCC, told Lake Tahoe News.

Murillo said LTCC is working on a transition plan that should be in place by mid-May that will be for the short term and long term.

In addition to Greene’s job at the college, he has been the chair of the board for the Tahoe Prosperity Center for the past 18 months.

He will give up those responsibilities knowing Heidi Hill Drum has been hired as the executive director, that a $167,000 grant from the state Public Utilities Commission to fund a comprehensive assessment of broadband in the entire Lake Tahoe Basin is about to be awarded the TPC, and that the organization will be the leader in maintaining the commodities bank for tourist accommodation units and commercial floor area are in place.

Greene said the greatest outcome to date with the center is creating a model for how collaboration can work among those in the basin and beyond.