Transformative higher education leader to begin role July 1, 2025.
Following a national search, San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) Chancellor Melissa Moreno has announced that she will recommend Dr. Nathan Carter to the Board of Trustees as the next President of Skyline College. The Board of Trustees will take formal action on Dr. Carter’s appointment at their meeting on April 30, 2025.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Carter to lead Skyline College,” said Chancellor Moreno. “He is a transformational leader and team builder who has demonstrated a deep commitment to underserved student communities. He leads with intellectual humility with a primary focus on innovative, equitable, and inclusive student experiences to engender success and completion. Skyline College is on track to reach new heights of excellence under Dr. Carter’s leadership and his uncompromised collaborative and collegial approach.”
Dr. Carter brings 20 years of professional experience in higher education, including faculty positions at CSU San Bernardino and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). He currently serves as the Chief Institutional Effectiveness and Inclusion Officer at NOVA, the second-largest community college in the nation.
“I am humbled to have been selected to serve as the next president of Skyline College,” said Dr. Carter. “I am excited to begin this journey working alongside students, staff, faculty, and the regional community to advance Skyline’s powerful mission. By working together, we will cultivate an inclusive and high-achieving environment that expands equitable access to education—empowering all students, particularly those from underserved local communities, to pursue greater social and economic opportunity.”
A proud product of the California community college system, Dr. Carter began his academic journey at Sacramento City College. From there, he transferred to the University of the Pacific, earning a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. He earned a master’s degree in communication studies from CSU Northridge and a doctorate in intercultural communication and rhetoric from Howard University in Washington, DC.
Dr. Carter is a graduate of the prestigious American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program and exemplifies servant leadership by contributing his expertise to various local, state, and national boards dedicated to student success and community college excellence.
Dr. Carter will start his new position on July 1, 2025. His selection is subject to the approval of a written contract, whose terms will be available for public review before the April 30 board meeting.
Media Contact: David McLain, Community & Government Relations, SMCCCD, (650) 730-8049 or mclaind@smccd.edu.
About San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD): SMCCCD operates three colleges, Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College, that provide community college educational services to the residents of San Mateo County. The District’s colleges serve over 32,000 students annually and offer the first two years of college-level instruction in various transfer and career-technical programs. The District is governed by a six-member Board of Trustees, with five voting members elected by voters from designated areas of the County and one nonvoting student member elected by students.
About Skyline College: Skyline College is an accredited, comprehensive California community college serving more than 15,000 students annually, offering 100 Associate Degree and Certificate programs as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Care. Located on a 111-acre campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Skyline College has offered world-class educational opportunities to residents from North San Mateo County and beyond for over 50 years. Part of the San Mateo Community College District, Skyline College strives to inspire a global and diverse community of learners to achieve intellectual, cultural, social, economic, and personal fulfillment.