Río Hondo College Names Teresa Dreyfuss as Superintendent/President for One-Year Term
Posted on July 1, 2025 by Río Hondo College | Category: Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2025 | CONTACT: Dalilah Davaloz (562) 692-0921
(Whittier, Calif.) — The Río Hondo College Board of Trustees selected Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss to lead the District from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The decision was made at the Board’s June 18, meeting to ensure seasoned, student-focused leadership while a nationwide search is conducted for the College’s next long-term chief executive.
Superintendent/President Dreyfuss returns with decades of service to community colleges, including prior appointments at Río Hondo as Superintendent/President, Interim Superintendent/President, Vice President of Finance and Business, Chief Financial Officer, Controller/Business Manager and Senior Accountant. Ms. Dreyfuss retired in June 2019, was reappointed Interim Superintendent/President by the Board of Trustees on July 18, 2020 through June 30, 2022, and now in 2025.
During her 2013-2019 presidency she oversaw the $250 million Measure A Facilities Program, which modernized the campus, including the educational centers and the Regional Training Center in Santa Fe Springs.
Under Superintendent/President Dreyfuss’ leadership, Río Hondo College achieved full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in both 2014 and 2022, reinforcing the College’s commitment to academic excellence and institutional integrity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led efforts to transition courses online, maintain student support services, and implement key safety protocols while ensuring students had access to essential tools like laptops, hotspots and basic needs resources.
Major academic accomplishments include the expansion of Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT), growing from 3 to 27. She also launched the Río Promise in 2017, later expanding it to cover a second year of free tuition for first-time college students—making Río Hondo the first college in Los Angeles County to make such a commitment.
Superintendent/President Dreyfuss also advanced Pathway to Law School, one of just 28 programs statewide, which earned Río Hondo the Diversity Champion Award from California Law in 2018. Under her leadership, the automotive technology program established a 12-week training partnership with TESLA and earned approval for its baccalaureate degree in Automotive Technology in 2017. She also restored the Police Academy to full operational status, reaffirming the College’s leadership in first responder training.
In recognition of her service, Superintendent/President Dreyfuss received a Congressional Record recognition from Congresswoman Linda Sánchez in May 2019. 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.
In the coming year Superintendent/President Dreyfuss will oversee initial phases of the Measure RH construction program, a $442 million facilities bond approved by voters in 2024 to address urgent infrastructure needs. The Board emphasized that her financial expertise and institutional knowledge will keep projects on schedule and on budget.
Superintendent/President Dreyfuss remains committed to ensuring programs and services are delivered effectively to students, that strategic objectives align with the District’s mission, vision, values and goals, and—most importantly—that every action advances student success.
She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of La Verne and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chinese Culture in Taipei, Taiwan.
The District has retained the Association of Community College Trustees to manage the national search for a permanent Superintendent/President.
