Rosa Pérez, Chancellor of the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District, announced that she will be retiring because of poor health. Pérez has battled respiratory problems in the past. Her retirement will go into effect on June 30, when her current contract expires.

Pérez was something of a trailblazer at SJECC. She is the first Latina to serve as Chancellor on a permanent basis, and she is also one of the nation’s very few openly gay chancellors. But her tenure at the head of SJECC has not been without its controversies. She has come into conflict with the California School Employees Association for downsizing staff because of the economic crisis.