After over a decade of service, Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Brian King announced last month that he will retire in June 2026.

While his time at Los Rios is coming to a close, King said he continues to be proud of the impact he’s made during his tenure as Chancellor.

He has overseen the opening of two educational outreach centers, a program that helps students with financial barriers and the implementation of Guided Pathways throughout the four colleges, among other achievements, according to the LRCCD website.

King has also faced challenges during his tenure.

In March 2024, King received his third vote of no confidence from Cosumnes River College’s Academic Senate. Prior to CRC’s vote, American River College and Sacramento City College both passed a vote of no confidence and Folsom Lake College passed a resolution of support.

King sat down with The Connection to discuss his announcement.

He said the reason for announcing his retirement 15 months in advance is to give the Los Rios Board of Trustees ample time to search for his replacement. He said he believes that leadership positions are more challenging to fill now than ever, so by giving the board extra time, they are able to decide on what the district needs.

“It’s time to pass the torch and see how the district can be even better in the years ahead,” King said.

Jennifer Delucchi, the chancellor’s executive officer, said that as a leader, King is always active and engaged, and genuinely enjoys connecting with people.

“He’s cultivated a culture, he’s leading from a place that puts us at ease,” Delucchi said.

Delucchi’s job as executive officer is to oversee day-to-day activities with the sitting Chancellor as an assistant. She handles all internal work with the Chancellor’s office alongside King, and their team.

“His role is to oversee and lead the entire district,” Delucchi said, who has worked with him for the entirety of his 13 years. “He has a gift for bringing in the right people in the right conversations.”

King started his career as an attorney after graduating Duke University School of Law, but said he did not feel fulfilled by the profession. When a new community college opened near him in Springfield, Missouri, he decided to take a temporary career change.

“A new community college was starting in the Midwest, where I lived at that time, and I thought it would be fun to teach,” King said.

King taught American government and business law at Ozarks Technical Community College before becoming its vice president of administration and business. After earning his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Arkansas, he was hired as the ninth chancellor of the LRCCD in 2012, according to the LRCCD website.

“This job is really interesting because of the complexity,” King said.

King noted the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the most challenging times during his time. “Within 72 hours, we became a remote digital institution,” he said.

He found that his staff and faculty, along with his students, were able to handle changing to a digital platform until they could be back on campuses again.

“Hiring and retaining really outstanding people and building a team that cares deeply about students is one of the things I’m most proud of,” King said.

Cosumnes River College President Edward Bush said Los Rios has experienced stability in its leadership with King, which is important because “leadership does not live in a vacuum, but bleeds down to everyone else.”

“You wouldn’t want to work in an environment where you don’t feel seen or heard,” Bush said.

Through his 10 years as college president, Bush said he has seen many changes through the work of the chancellor’s office. More accessibility for students, increased transfer rates, more resources for faculty and expanding facilities are among some of the noted accomplishments.

“I don’t know that I’ll be remembered personally, but something I’m really proud of is I’ll leave the organization in pretty good shape,” King said.

Bush said King’s leadership has been courageous, adding that he did things that were unpopular to some because he believed it was in the best interest of the students.

According to ARC’s no confidence resolution, the district has a lack of transparency that excluded faculty from key decisions within the district. From building closures to staff hiring, there was a divide between the Chancellor’s team, and the faculty it represents.

King said a lot of his job is “making 50/50 decisions” where he has to make a call, even if not everyone is going to be happy about it. He said whatever decision was going to be made, half the people within the organization were going to think it was a bad decision.

“For leaders who are in higher education for a long time now, it’s almost inevitable that some decisions will be unpopular,” King said.

As King prepares to retire, he said he wants to shine light on what he has learned during his time.

“I hope we return to a greater civility and recognize that leadership is hard, and even good leaders make mistakes,” he said.

Bush said that legacy has importance and that everyone, including King, strives to leave a place better than it was found.

“I thought when I was hired, and still think, we’re the best multi-college district in the state of California,” King said.

King’s advice to students going forward is to embrace the opportunity given to them as a graduate, to understand that they have power from where they stand, and have the chance to go forward to “change the world.”

Following his retirement, King plans to spend time with his wife, hoping to take time to travel and see the world. He also said that while he will no longer be in the position of Chancellor, he hopes to still spend his time interacting with students and staff where he can.

“It’s hard to replace 13 years of great leadership,” Bush said.