A woman in a dark teal patterned jacket, black dress, and black heels standing inside near a large bonsai tree and smaller bonsais, holding a notebook and a smartphone, with natural light coming through a window.

Star Rivera-Lacey Ph.D.

Student Focused

Heart Centered Leadership

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About

Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants and a first-generation college graduate who found her path through community college and went on to lead one. She served as the first Latina president in the 75-year history of Palomar College and now serves as Deputy Chancellor/Provost of the Riverside Community College District. A former counselor with more than two decades in the classroom, she has been named an Aspen Institute Rising Presidents Fellow, a National Community College Hispanic Council Fellow and President-Elect, and a UC Davis Wheelhouse Fellow. She calls herself proof of concept: without community college, her Ph.D. never happens. She speaks nationally on resilience, on students' right to be there, and on her signature metaphor for institutional responsibility the beehive and the royal jelly, the idea that institutions motivated by love must nurture the students who make them exist. She also speaks to what it takes for first-generation professionals of color to navigate institutions not built for them: surviving and thriving and holding the door open for whoever comes next.

FELLOWSHIPS, CERTIFICATIONS & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Leadership Riverside (2027); accepted

Colorful logo for the National Community College Hispanic Council with the word 'CohciliO' and the full name below.

National Community College Hispanic Council Fellowship (2018); currently President-Elect

Neurodiversity, Equity, and Trauma-Informed Approaches (NETA) Certificate, Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity, University of San Diego (2026)

UC Davis Wheelhouse logo with text reading "The Center for Community College Leadership and Research."

UC Davis Wheelhouse Fellowship (2024)

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Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship (2021)

United Way / University of San Diego Board Leadership Certification (2021)

San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association - SDICCCA (2022); former President

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Faculty Membership

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Nashville University logo with a large blue 'N' and the words 'Nashville University' below.

“Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey leads from a pedagogy of love. The belief that people rise to the level they're loved at. She is proof of concept: without community college, her Ph.D. never happens and without institutions willing to become student-ready that path doesn't open for the next person.”

PRESS/MEDIA

Cover of a magazine titled "Steps" showing a young woman in a graduation cap and gown, smiling. The magazine is called "The Magazine of Cal State San Marcos," and this is the fall 2023 issue. The headline reads "Elevating The Ivory" and the subtitle
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Close-up portrait of a woman with dark hair, smiling, wearing a cream scarf and a blue suit with a colorful beaded necklace, standing outdoors with steps in the background.
Three women in graduation caps and gowns smiling at a graduation ceremony outdoors with a crowd in the background.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

A woman with long dark hair and a floral-patterned dress smiling in front of a background with trees and sky. The image is part of an award or recognition certificate for Star Rivera Lacey, Ph.D., superintendent and president of Palomar College, reco
A woman with dark hair smiling, wearing a colorful floral dress, standing against a blue background with text congratulating her as Woman of the Year 2025 from California State Assembly District 76, Palomar College, and Dr. Star Rivera Lacey.

GALLERY

A panel of five diverse individuals seated at a discussion at the Social Mobility Symposium, with a large screen behind them displaying the event's name.
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Two women are holding hands and smiling, engaging in conversation in a fast-food restaurant. One woman has dark hair and is wearing a gray jacket, and the other woman has black hair and is wearing a denim jacket. The background shows restaurant count
A woman speaking at a podium during a formal event with multiple American flags in the background. Audience members are seated at tables with red tablecloths and floral centerpieces.
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UPCOMING SPEAKING EVENTS

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Follow on Social

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Connect with Dr. Rivera-Lacey