Finalist Open Forums
Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services
Members of the campus community are invited to attend open forums with two finalists for the position of vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, to be held on Monday and Tuesday, May 12 and 13.
The finalists are Phyllis Carter, former associate vice chancellor and chief financial officer for the Contra Costa Community College District, and Farhad Sabit, executive director of Fiscal Services for the Ohlone Community College District.
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, beginning at noon on Wednesday, May 14. 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, May 19.
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.
Phyllis Carter
- Open Forum: Monday, May 12 – 2:15-3:15 p.m. in the Fireside Room
Submitted Biography:
Phyllis Carter is a mission-aligned and results-oriented financial and operational executive with
over 30 years of cross-sector leadership experience in higher education, nonprofit
and corporate settings. For more than 15 years, she has held senior roles in academic
institutions, advising boards, presidents and campus communities on strategic, financial
and operational priorities to advance institutional sustainability and student success.
Most recently, Carter served as associate vice chancellor and chief financial officer for the Contra Costa Community College District, where she led district-level finance and secured over $150 million in general obligation bonds and loans for capital improvements across multiple campuses and centers. Previously, as interim vice president of Strategy, Innovation and Operations at Samuel Merritt University, she oversaw the creation of the university’s inaugural economic impact study and co-led initial financial, operational and strategic planning for the new campus building currently under construction in downtown Oakland.
Her leadership includes serving as vice president and CFO at San Francisco State University and chief business officer at Laney College, managing multi-million-dollar budgets and administrative operations. Earlier, she served as CFAO at the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute, providing financial leadership in support of international research funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency.
Carter’s corporate background includes finance and accounting management roles in telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, venture capital and technology. She also taught at Merritt College, introducing students to careers in accounting and finance.
She holds an MBA in Finance and an advanced certificate in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis, and a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Missouri. A CPA (not licensed), she is a fellow of UC Berkeley’s Executive Leadership Academy.
Committed to access, equity and social impact, Carter volunteers with youth, education and women’s advancement initiatives, supporting institutions that empower future leaders and expand opportunities.
Farhad Sabit
- Open Forum: Tuesday, May 13 – 2:15-3:15 p.m. in the Fireside Room
Submitted Biography:
Farhad Sabit is an equity-minded community college administrator who has lived in and raised his
family in the East Bay for the last 30 years. His professional experience in financial
and business services extends over 24 years, both in the private and public sectors.
For the past 17 years, he has served in the California community college system, both
at the district and campus operations level, where he has been responsible for the
overall design, development, planning, delivery and supervision of comprehensive financial
and business services functions including fiscal services, budget development, investment
and cash management, capital project accounting, payroll, cashiering services, audit
and fiscal policies and procedures.
For the past 12 years, Sabit has been executive director of Fiscal Services for Ohlone Community College District in Fremont, overseeing accounting, budget, finance, investment, cash management and payroll functions. In addition to his current role, last fall Farhad also served as the interim vice president of Administrative Services and chief business official for Ohlone College for about four months. In this interim role, his responsibilities included providing leadership for and oversight of various administrative services departments, including capital projects, Fiscal Services, Information Technology Services, Campus Security Services, Facilities and Maintenance, and others.
As executive director of Fiscal Services, he provides fiscal support to numerous district departments. Besides leading the annual budget development process, Sabit has served on several participatory governance committees and co-chaired the Ohlone district budget committee. Prior to joining Ohlone College, he was a staff accountant, assistant controller and interim controller with San Jose-Evergreen Community College District.
Sabit enjoys working with people from diverse backgrounds, who bring diverse perspective to the workplace. His professional strengths include strong planning and organization skills, effective communication and interpersonal skills. Sabit has a master’s degree in Public Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a Finance option from California State University, East Bay.