Finalist Open Forums
Vice President of Student Services
Members of the campus community are invited to attend open forums with three finalists for the position of vice president of Student Services, to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 17 and 18.
The finalists are Dr. Shalamon Duke, dean of Counseling, Special Programs and Grants at College of Alameda; Dr. Michele LeBleu-Burns, dean of Student Development and EOPS at De Anza College; and Dr. Newin Orante, vice president of Student Services and currently acting president at Skyline College.
Each candidate will speak and answer questions during separate open forums in the Campus Center's Fireside Room, at the times listed below. These forums are open to everyone and feedback forms will be available for you to give input.
If you’re unable to attend the forums, video recordings will be available on this webpage by noon on Friday, June 20. You can also submit feedback to President Torres through an online form, which will be posted on the webpage with the recordings. Feedback should be submitted no later than noon on Monday, June 23.
The finalists were chosen by a hiring committee composed of faculty members, classified professionals and administrators. A final selection by President Torres will be submitted for approval by the district Board of Trustees. Below, you’ll find biographies submitted by each finalist.
Shalamon Duke
- Open Forum: Tuesday, June 17 – 9:15-10:15 a.m. in the Fireside Room
Submitted Biography:
Shalamon Duke is a proven educational leader with extensive academic and professional experience
in equitable student access and success in higher education. He has dedicated his
entire career toward helping students reach their academic dreams and bettering communities.
Dr. Duke has been serving students and community colleges for more than two decades in different roles such as a classified professional, dean of Student Services, interim vice president of Student Services and associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs in both single and multi-college districts.
He is well-known as a highly engaging and innovative leader, always committed to exploring creative and collaborative initiatives that address the “opportunity gap” in higher education, community and industry. Under his leadership, colleges have been able to design innovative programs for Dreamers, formerly incarcerated students, adult learners, students with disabilities and displaced workers.
In addition to empowering teamwork through innovative initiatives that bring together academic and student support services, Dr. Duke leverages the power of technology to break down barriers and boost enrollment, student success and retention. Most recently, he led the implementation of ConexED, Zoom Phone and Maxient across the Peralta Community College District. Lastly, he has led the development of mobile technologies to increase enrollment, student success and retention.
Collaboration and student-centered decision making have been a part of Dr. Duke’s approach to leadership. As a first-generation college graduate, he is anchored in generosity, equity, humility and social justice. This approach has fostered the ability to form powerful partnerships with faculty, classified professionals, students, administrators and community.
Dr. Duke has a bachelor’s degree in English from Grambling State University, a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University and an Ed.D. degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. He is an avid San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Chargers fan.
Michele LeBleu-Burns
- Open Forum: Tuesday, June 17 – 2:15-3:15 p.m. in the Fireside Room
Submitted Biography:
Michele LeBleu-Burns is a seasoned administrator and visionary leader with more than 27 years of progressive
leadership experience in California community colleges. Her career began at Evergreen
Valley College, where she held key roles in outreach, enrollment services, learning
communities, strategic planning, and student retention and support programs.
In her current role as dean at De Anza College, Dr. LeBleu-Burns has led comprehensive, equity-focused initiatives aimed at dismantling systemic barriers and improving educational outcomes for historically marginalized students. Her leadership portfolio includes oversight of critical student services such as Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), CARE, NextUp, CalWORKs, Student Health Services, Mental Health and Wellness, College Life and Student Judicial Affairs. Her accomplishments include securing and administering over $1 million in grant and foundation funding, developing targeted support services for foster youth, and significantly expanding access to mental health and basic needs resources.
At Evergreen Valley College, Dr. LeBleu-Burns served in both student services and instructional settings, developing and leading innovative programs designed to advance the academic success of underserved and underrepresented student populations. Her accomplishments included writing successful federal TRIO grant applications in 2001 and 2005. Under her leadership, the TRIO program participants achieved the highest retention, success, graduation and transfer rates of any cohort program on campus. She was recognized by the San José-Evergreen Community College District Board of Trustees for her efforts to promote equity, diversity and inclusion.
A student-centered servant leader, Dr. LeBleu-Burns works effectively across divisions and with districtwide partners to ensure holistic and student-ready approaches to institutional planning and service delivery.
Dr. LeBleu-Burns holds an associate degree in General Studies from Evergreen Valley College, a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from San José State University, a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Santa Clara University and an Ed.D. in Higher Educational Leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California.
Newin Orante
- Open Forum: Wednesday, June 18 – 2:15-3:15 p.m. in the Fireside Room
Submitted Biography:
Newin Paul Orante is a respected higher education leader with over 28 years of experience advancing
equity, access and student success. He is the vice president of Student Services at
Skyline College and is honored to serve there as acting president through June 2025.
He leads with heart and purpose, bringing inclusive leadership, strategic vision and
a steadfast focus on student engagement, wellness and achievement during a pivotal
time in the college’s history.
Before joining Skyline College, Dr. Orante served as vice president of Student Services at Diablo Valley College, where he championed data-informed programming that improved student retention and helped close equity gaps. Earlier, he held leadership positions at Laney College as dean of Student and Academic Affairs, where he co-launched the b2b Foster Youth Initiative with the Career Ladders Project, and at Los Medanos College, where he served as director of EOPS and CalWORKs and later as dean of Student Development. At Los Medanos, he was instrumental in developing a key framework for student equity, the Institutional Development for Equity and Access.
Committed to community engagement and advocacy, Dr. Orante is a founding and current board member of The COALITION, a statewide advocacy network comprising A2MEND, APAHE, and COLEGAS. He is a long-time member of APAHE, on the board of Homies Empowerment in Oakland, and was a 2023 Fellow in the UC Davis Wheelhouse Advancing Leaders Institute.
Dr. Orante attended Contra Costa College, a place he credits for grounding his educational and personal transformation as a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology at San Francisco State University, a master’s in Public Administration from CSU East Bay and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State.
As a scholar-practitioner, Dr. Orante’s work is rooted in his commitment to organizational development, community building and social justice education.