At a Feb. 16 meeting, the Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) Governing Board accepted the resignation of Chancellor Bryan Reece, bringing an end to his year-long tenure in the East Bay that was marred by controversy from the start. The resignation is effective Feb. 11.

“The Governing Board and Dr. Reece have mutually decided to part ways,” said district spokesperson Tim Leong in a Feb. 17 statement to The Inquirer. “We thank Dr. Reece for his service to the District and wish him well as he relocates to Southern California to spend more time with his family.”

Reece was first placed on leave in mid-September of last year due to an unspecified “personnel matter,” only to be reinstated in his position after a 4CD board vote on Sept. 30.

The chancellor’s resignation comes after he was put on paid leave for a second time following a unanimous governing board vote on Feb. 2.

The college district has recently suffered from what the executive director of United Faculty of 4CD, Jeffrey Michels, has called an “instability in management” as three contract administrators have been placed on administrative leave since 2020.

A writ of mandate filed against 4CD by two vice chancellors and a former associate vice chancellor received a tentative ruling on Jan. 28 that required the college district to disclose documents it had previously refused to provide.

As reported by Danville-San Ramon, Reece will receive the remainder of his contract salary, which amounts to over $133,000, as well as health insurance that will continue through the final seven months of his contracted term.

The resignation agreement also stipulates that both Reece and 4CD do not seek damages against one another.

The college governing board has approved a contract with the executive vice chancellor of education and technology, Mojdeh Mehdizadeh, who previously served as acting chancellor in the wake of both of Reece’s administrative leave periods.

Mehdizadeh has now been appointed the district’s interim chancellor, effective Feb. 16, 2022 through June 30, 2024, with an annual starting base salary of $357,714.