Pictured (l-r) are Fillmore Rotary Club President John Garnica and speaker Luca Lewis. Photo credit Martha Richardson.

The speaker at Fillmore Rotary last week was Luca Lewis. He is the President of Ventura College and has an extended history that brought him here. He began his higher education career in 1996 as a Physical Education Instructor at Washington State University. Not only did he teach PE but also Sociology. Later his teaching career led him to the University of Idaho, Bellevue College, Highland Community College, Green River Community College and Puget Sound Early College. He began his administrative leadership career at the University of Idaho as Program Manager/Education Specialist in the office of Dean of Students from 2002-2006. He later joined the University of Washington, Tacoma, as Interim Student Affairs Specialist from 2006-2007. In 2008 he became Program Supervisor at Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction with many responsibilities for the 295 school districts. His career led him on to Bellevue College as Director of High School Programs in 2010. He was overseeing Running Start and other K-12 initiatives to expand enrollment opportunities in the region. In 2012 he became Dean for Student Success and Retention at Edmonds Community College. After all of that experience Dr. Lewis became Vice President of Student Affairs at Ventura College. In 2025 he was appointed Interim President of Ventura College and subsequently became President of the College.