Gary Pritchard has become the full time dean of Fine Arts and Mass Communication.

Pritchard served as interim dean last academic year.

He has been teaching for Cerritos for at least 14 years as a music instructor holding both full-time and part-time positions. Not only is he a dean of Fine Arts and Communication, he also serves on the Capistrano Unified School District board.

Cerritos College president Linda Lacy said about the decision, “He was the top choice coming from the faculty and we are very pleased with our selection.”

Pritchard said about his new position, “I enjoy the work, I like dealing with lots of challenges. Each day poses a new challenge. I like my work with the faculty, the classified staff, and the students.”

Jony Nader, art major and commissioner of convocations and fine art, shares the same views as Gary Pritchard.

“We both believe that this school is full of talented individuals who deserve to have their art seen and admired by their peers. I expect Dr. Pritchard to work together with myself, the numerous clubs and departments of Cerritos College and the ASCC to bring to light some of the hidden talents we have stowed away within our campus.”

Pritchard oversees all the divisions from art and design to theatre and film arts. He talks about how he wants to find ways to incorporate more students.

“I am very interested in partner collaborations so I am going out to the Chamber of Commerce events (and) talking about our programs and the type of students we develop. I think our students do a fantastic job of coming up with creative solutions.”

As for one of his many goals, in collaboration with the K-12 system that he is familiar with, Pritchard is trying to align the K-12 system with other community colleges, universities, and Cal States toward getting students goal-oriented throughout the state of California.

Gary Pritchard goes on to say, “I think for students, it’s good to know that we have some of the best instructors on the campus. The teaching I have observed is excellent (and) the classes that we offer provide a wealth of knowledge about content. I think our instructors challenge students to become more creative thinkers utilizing a number of different skill sets that can be helpful in the job market and find(ing) a career.”