Gallery: Locals officially welcome West Hills College Lemoore President James Preston with reception in college's Student Union

On hand were President James Preston and his wife, Jen. They joined others, including Chancellor Kristin Clark, Lemoore City Manager Nathan Olson, and the district’s board members, including Lemoore’s Jeff Levinson.

Preston, who has served as Lemoore’s interim president, was picked following a nationwide search and officially began his job on January 1, 2022.

Preston succeeds Dr. Kristin Clark, who, earlier in 2021, was promoted to the district’s chancellor’s position.

Preston has over 27 years of experience in education. He has served West Hills College Lemoore since 2000 and held the positions of Education/English Teacher, Academic Senate President, Dean of Educational Services, Vice President of Educational Services, and most recently, the Interim President. 

One of his notable accomplishments is creating the T.E.A.M. Teach program for future teachers and the 5C Experience summer program for middle school students, which was the original Teacher Pipeline Programs (T.P.P.) utilized by the Chancellor’s Office in developing a state-wide T.P.P. model.

Preston holds a master’s degree in education from Fresno Pacific University and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He and his wife Jennifer enjoy spending time with their three adult children and new son-in-law. The entire family enjoys sports and hiking. 

Photos by Gary Feinstein