A Texas Size Welcome for New Management Additions to HCC

By Jawahar Malhotra

HOUSTON: It was truly a celebration of the diversity within its ranks from the top down which is the hallmark of how the Houston Community College System operates. Founded in 1971, the HCC operates over the 630 square miles of the Metroplex with nearly 4,000 academic and administrative staff over eight colleges and 23 commuter campuses serving 114,000 students who reflect the ethnic mix of the city.

In addressing the guests at the Junior League this past Thursday, April 27, HCC Trustee Neeta Sane was proud of the student and staff composition at the institution. The occasion was a reception to introduce Dr. Muddassir Siddiqi, the new President of the renovated and remodeled HCC Central Campus in Midtown and Linda Toyota, the new Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications & Marketing. The evening reception was co-hosted by the Asian Scholarship Program Inspiring Results and Excellence (ASPIRE) and was attended by a large cross-section of community leaders.

Sane noted that HCC was “number 1 in the nation for international students due to the efforts of ASPIRE. HCC is number one in student degrees and today reflects what the rest of the community  looks like.”

HCC Chancellor Dr. Cesar Maldonado, who has an open and friendly demeanor with his Trustees and staff, as was evident from the banter between them onstage, described the nationwide process through which Dr. Mudassir Siddiqi had been selected. Not content with the initial results, Maldonado went to Morton College, a community college in Cicero, Illinois where Siddiqi was the interim President and had worked since 2009, and spoke with the staff and students. “He was the perfect fit for us, his background as an engineer notwithstanding!” quipped Maldonado. “And he also has a background in workforce programs.”

Maldonado also introduced Toyota as a person who was a natural fit for the position, “and will focus on student success.” Toyota has served as the President of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Houston since October 2011. Previous to that she was senior vice president of development for the Houston Technology Center and as development officer for the Holocaust Museum Houston.

Dr. Mudassir Siddiqi spoke of his initial fears of leaving the Chicago area where he had lived for many  years and where his family still lives while his youngest son finishes high school. “I have been here 2 months and my fears are gone as everyone has been so friendly,” he said, adding that it may take another year for the family to fully transition. A native of India, he was raised across the world since his father was in the Indian Foreign Service, and also has an industrial engineering degree.

Linda Toyota spoke about her Japanese ancestry and recalled how her parents were interned in camps during World War II and how she had also attended a community college while growing up. “I understand the importance of HCC,” she said, “and will work to maintain and build the connections across the city.”

In concluding the reception, Sane introduced Nat and Leela Krishnamurthy as the Honorary Chairs for the HCC-ASPIRE Gala to be held on September 30 at which time HCC’s Dr. Ritu Raju, the Division Chair, Speech, Communication, and Sign Language, will be honored for her selection as a Fellow of the American Council on Education. The Krishnamurthys are long-time community workers and philanthropists and Nat said he wants the program to be a sold out event. “We’ve been married a long time,” Leela quipped in her characteristic understated way. “He does a lot of talking and I do a lot of listening!”