Teresa Dreyfuss
Biography
A native of Taiwan, Ms. Dreyfuss came to Río Hondo College in 1987. She has previously served as Superintendent/President, Interim Superintendent/President, Vice President, Finance and Business, Chief Financial Officer, Controller/Business Manager and Senior Accountant. Ms. Dreyfuss was initially appointed Superintendent/President by the Río Hondo College Board of Trustees on July 1, 2013. Ms. Dreyfuss retired in June, 2019, was reappointed Interim Superintendent/President by the Board of Trustees on July 18, 2020 until June 30, 2022 and June 18, 2025 respectively.
She was instrumental guiding the $250 million Measure A facilities construction program which transformed the aging hilltop campus into a modern institution including three educational centers and the Río Hondo College Regional Training Center in Santa Fe Springs. She will also oversee the implementation of the 2024 voter approved Measure RH the $442 million facilities construction program. Measure RH construction will begin with the most urgent projects, with a phased project schedule. All of these initiatives provide access for underserved areas in the District.
Under her leadership, Ms. Dreyfuss’ major accomplishments at Río Hondo College include:
- The College received full WASC accreditation in 2014 and 2022.
- In 2020-2022 President Dreyfuss led the College in several major accomplishments during the pandemic. Rio Hondo provided free meals for the community in conjunction with local restaurants. Hundreds of Chromebooks, laptops, and hotspots were checked out to students, multiple campus health and safety protocols were implemented throughout the pandemic. All courses were moved into the online environment in both synchronous and asynchronous offerings. The campus community rallied to provide basic needs for our students including housing, food, and financial assistance.
- Expanded Associate Degrees for Transfer, from three to a total of 27 in 2019. Currently, Río Hondo College offers a total of 32 ADT’s.
- On May 9, 2019, President Dreyfuss received a Congressional Record recognition from Congresswoman Linda Sánchez during President Dreyfuss’ retirement celebration. The language from the recognition is typically read on the floor of the House Chamber and traditionally included in the congressional record, which is kept in the Library of Congress.
- The automotive technology program includes partnerships with major auto firms, including a highly successful 12-week technical training program with TESLA that launched in spring 2018 and in 2016-2017 approval of the Auto Technology and Management Baccalaureate degree program.
- Successful launch of the Río Promise in 2017 and expanding it in 2018 to include a second year of free tuition for first-time college students. Río Hondo College was the first in Los Angeles County to make such a pledge with other local community colleges modeling RHC’s program.
- Secured the Pathway to Law School program, one of only 28 programs recognized across the state to guide students from community college to a four-year university and into top law schools.
- Río Hondo College received the Diversity Champion Award from California Law for excellence at the 2018 Pathway to Law Summit.
- Restored the Río Hondo College Police Academy to full rigorous operations. Our academies graduate first responders in two co-horts annually who are hired by local agencies throughout the state.
Ms. Dreyfuss holds a master’s in business administration from the University of La Verne and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chinese Culture, Taipei, Taiwan. She has worked as a part-time instructor at Río Hondo College, Los Angeles City College, teaching accounting and business classes for over 10 years. She also served in the capacity of Director of Business at Riverside Community College District.
Prior to her retirement, Ms. Dreyfuss served on several boards including Worker’s Compensation JPA, Dental & Vision JPA, General and Product Liability JPA, Captive Insurance for Public Agencies Limited, L.A. County Fourth District Consolidated Oversight Board, Los Angeles/Orange County Regional Consortia, member of Governance Council and member of the El Monte/South El Monte Chamber of Commerce. She was a member of the Chancellor’s Office Facility Task Force and Chief Business Officials for the California Community Colleges. In March, 2019, Ms. Dreyfuss was selected as the Woman of the Year in the 57th District by Majority Leader Assemblyman Ian C. Calderon. In April, 2019, Ms. Dreyfuss was the recipient of the Educational Award given by the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce (HOT) at their Positive Image Awards Luncheon. In December, 2019, Ms. Dreyfuss served as the Grand Marshall of the 56th Annual Whittier Uptown Association’s Holiday Parade. Ms. Dreyfuss was appointed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District, to the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission and Economic and Efficiency Commission.
Managing a college is a major commitment with multiple demands and responsibilities, yet she finds time to volunteer in her community. Currently, President Dreyfuss maintains her memberships with the Soroptimist International of Whittier and Soroptimist International of El Monte/South El Monte. She previously served as Vice Chair of the City of Whittier’s Sister City Committee, Senior Advisor to the L.A. Positive Chinese Association, as well as a Board Member of the Chinese Culture, University Southern California Alumni Association, and faculty member at the Leadership Development Program for Higher Education. Ms. Dreyfuss also serves as the Trustee of the Alhambra/San Gabriel Elks Lodge.
As Superintendent/President, Ms. Dreyfuss prioritizes continuity, ensuring programs and services are delivered to students and strategic goals remained aligned with the mission, vision, values and goals of the District. She leads with stability and commitment that Río Hondo College remains fiscally strong while focusing on student success.