She’s worn nearly every hat at the Guam Community College—from program specialist, to dean, and academic vice president—now, she’s stepping into the college’s top role. KUAM sat down with Dr. Virginia Tudela on her first day as interim GCC president.

The college is entering a new chapter of leadership, as Dr. Tudela steps into the role of interim president—following the conclusion of Dr. Mary Okada’s 18-year tenure at the helm of the college. Earlier this week, GCC’s board of trustees unanimously appointing Tudela to the position, marking her transition from vice president of academic affairs to the college’s top leadership role.

“I’m deeply honored by their vote of confidence in me. I know that the board of trustees will be there to support me in my role as interim president of the college," Tudela shared.

Tudela brings with her 23 years of institutional experience, having served in eight different administrative roles at GCC—most recently as vice president of academic affairs.  That long-standing tenure, she says, has helped her build strong relationships and a deep understanding of the college’s operations.

She said, “I think working here at GCC for that long, I’ve established a lot of relationships with the employees here at GCC—there’s a lot of trust involved in moving the initiatives of the college forward and I also have a good understanding of the different processes here at the college–as well as I know the different programs that we offer.”

With that trust and familiarity, Tudela says her focus as interim president is on continuity—making sure key initiatives already in motion continue to move forward. “We’re working on getting our Fiscal Year 2027 budget approved. We have a new institutional strategic master plan that goes from 2026 to 2032—So, I would like to implement that master plan in the near future because it starts next academic year–so, those two for sure," she said. "Of course, we have a lot of construction projects, and we’d like to see those come to completion, as well.”

In the meantime, Tudela says she will continue to work closely with Dr. Okada, maintaining open communication and collaboration as the board moves forward with its search for a permanent president. She also shares a message of confidence and gratitude with the GCC community and the island.

“Again, I’m very grateful for this opportunity. Team GCC is such a solid team. I look forward to working with them," she said. "I know that they have what it takes to move our college forward and we will still continue to be the leader in education and workforce development–meeting the needs of the community.”