Executive Members

Dr. Daniel LaVista became Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District on August 1, 2010.

Dr. LaVista, 66, was selected in April by the LACCD Board of Trustees to lead the nation’s largest community college district.

Dr. LaVista previously served as Executive Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia from August, 2004, until June, 2010. In that position, he provided day-to-day management of an agency that coordinated efforts among the 23 community colleges of the Virginia Community College System, along with the state’s 16 public and two- and four-year colleges and universities, as well as private and out-of-state institutions.

Among his other responsibilities, Dr. LaVista chaired regular meetings of the presidents of Virginia's higher education institutions, and directed system-wide strategic planning and policy development. He also provided reports and recommendations about education policy issues to Virginia’s Governor and General Assembly.

Before taking the Virginia position, Dr. LaVista had been the Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. He also was president of two Illinois community colleges, McHenry County College and the College of Lake County, and was Chancellor for the Community Colleges of Baltimore County in Maryland.

Dr. LaVista, a native of upstate New York, earned a bachelor’s degree from Siena College in New York. He went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Dayton and a Ph.D. in Speech and Dramatic Art from Syracuse University. He also earned a certificate for participation in Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management.

Dr. LaVista and his wife, Rosemary, have two grown children.

Dr. Adriana D. Barrera, who had served as Acting Chancellor/Deputy Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District from June to August, 2009, has resumed her position as Deputy Chancellor. She has held this post since September 2005.

As Deputy Chancellor, she oversees the operation of most units at District headquarters, assists in the formulation and enactment of district policy, and provides administrative support for the Chancellor. The largest community college district in the nation, the LACCD includes nine colleges located throughout Los Angeles County.

Prior to her appointment as Deputy Chancellor, Dr. Barrera served as president of Los Angeles Mission College. During her five-year tenure at Mission, she raised the number of students who transferred to four-year universities by 25 percent; increased the number of degrees and diplomas awarded by the college by 25 percent; oversaw completion of the Guadalupe S. Ramirez Collaborative Studies (classroom) Building; and restored an athletics program that was a victim of budget cuts before her arrival.

Dr. Barrera earned her Bachelor's degree in psychology at Texas A&M University. She earned her doctorate in social psychology at Texas Tech University.

Larry H. Eisenberg is the executive director of Facilities Planning and Development for the Los Angeles Community College District, the largest community college district in the nation.

He supervises the district’s award-winning and nationally recognized $6 billion sustainable building and renewable energy programs and oversees planning, facilities development, maintenance and real estate activities. By the time the construction program is completed, the district’s nine colleges are expected to have 85 new buildings that meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified standards.

Eisenberg serves on several national organizations, including the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and the National Association of College and University Budget Officers.

Before assuming his current post in 2003, he was facilities manager for the Washington County, Ore. Department of Support Services. He also served as an associate vice president for Physical Planning and Development at the University of Wisconsin and held several senior management positions with the Wisconsin state government.

Thomas Hall has been Director of Facilities Planning and Development for the Los Angeles Community College District since January 2008.

Mr. Hall has been lauded for developing award-winning facilities programs. He has helped the District gain national recognition for its $6 billion Sustainable Building Program, one of the nation's largest green building efforts. Through this program, the LACCD will build nearly 85 structures that meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

Mr. Hall has more than 30 years of experience in the administration of facilities in both higher education and health care. Prior to working for LACCD, Mr. Hall spent 10 years directing facilities within the Missouri State University System.

He is an active member of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Mr. Hall holds two Bachelor of Science degrees, one in Biology from Iowa State University and another in Electronic Engineering from DeVry University. He earned a Masters in Business Administration degree and an Education Specialist degree in the Administration of Higher Education from the University of Central Missouri.