The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) announces that Vice Chair Dianne McKay has been named the 2021 Educational Leader of the Year by the Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA). McKay, who is president of Mustang Marketing in Thousand Oaks, will receive her honor at VCLA’s virtual Journey to Leadership Awards ceremony on April 29.
VCLA is dedicated to creating and connecting a network of compassionate, skilled leaders by focusing on issues surrounding Ventura County and encouraging opportunities for individual and professional development. The organization recognized McKay for her many accomplishments on behalf of the county’s students.
McKay has represented Area 2 on the VCCCD Board of Trustees since 2010 and has served in several leadership positions, including Board Chair and Vice Chair. McKay also represents California community college trustees statewide as a trustee-member on the Advisory Committee on Education Services with the Community College League of California.
Throughout her tenure on the Board, McKay has worked tirelessly to support the enrichment of students and the advancement of the District and its three institutions—Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College. She continues to encourage students to realize their academic and career aspirations, and faculty and staff to maintain their perseverance throughout the added challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During her first term, McKay was instrumental in navigating the District through significant budget cuts and out of accreditation probation. Leading the board to become the first in the state for each trustee to receive an Excellence in Trusteeship certification played an important role in this success. McKay also helped lead a local team to promote and pass Measure I, an initiative that provided $197 million to improve 28 schools in the Conejo Valley. Her earlier work provided much-improved stadiums at the three Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) comprehensive high schools and initiated a nationally recognized homework policy change.
McKay is a founding board member of the Conejo Schools Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping fund programs and facilities for CVUSD. She is the Foundation’s first executive director, second president and the sole founding member who continues to serve on the board.
McKay works tirelessly for the advancement, sustainability and economic recovery of Ventura County. She continues to devote her time to the boards of myriad organizations that work to improve educational opportunities for youth, including United Way of Ventura County, Safe Passage Youth Foundation and the Ventura County Family Justice Center Foundation.