Biography
President's Gaucho Gazette
Annual State of the College
President's Award for Leadership
and Innovation Nomination Form

Tod A. Burnett, Ed.D.
President
tburnett@saddleback.edu
(949) 582-4722

Sophie Miller
Executive Assistant to the President
smiller@saddleback.edu
(949) 582-4722

Rajen Vurdien, Ph.D.
Vice President for Instruction
rvurdien@saddleback.edu

Lise Telson
Vice President for Student Services
ltelson@saddleback.edu

Michelle Anstadt
Director of the
Saddleback College Foundation
manstadt1@saddleback.edu

Gretchen Bender
Director of Planning,
Research, and Grants
gbender@saddleback.edu

Carol Hilton
Director of Fiscal Services
chilton@saddleback.edu

Jennie McCue
Director of Public Information
and Marketing
jmccue@saddleback.edu

John Ozurovich
Director of Facilities, Maintenance,
and Operations
jozurovich@saddleback.edu

Mark Schiffelbein
Director of College Technology
mschiffelbein@saddleback.edu

Associated Student Government
Academic Senate
Classified Senate
Consultation Council

A results-oriented leader with a distinguished career in the public sector, Dr. Tod A. Burnett has served as president of Saddleback College since August 2008. As president, Dr. Burnett is the chief executive officer of the college managing a $95 million budget and 1,350 employees that currently serve over 40,000 students each year from the south Orange County community. Founded in 1968 and located in Mission Viejo on 200 acres, Saddleback College is one of the leading transfer and career technical education institutions in California offering approximately 2,000 courses and 300 degree and certificate programs.

Prior to serving as president of Saddleback College, Dr. Burnett was vice chancellor for the California Community Colleges—the largest higher education system in the world, with 110 colleges and over 2.7 million students annually. In this capacity, he coordinated implementation of the system’s first System Strategic Plan, managed the strategic communication efforts of the system office and led the first system-wide emergency planning and preparedness effort. Dr. Burnett was also integral in facilitating a $70 million private philanthropic gift for community college student scholarships which was the largest gift ever made to a community college system in the nation.

Previously, Dr. Burnett was deputy appointments secretary for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger where he advised the governor on making political appointments to over 300 full- and part-time positions in state government including agency and department anagement and members of full- and part-time boards and commissions.

Prior to joining the governor, Dr. Burnett served as director of state and local government relations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., appointed by President George W. Bush. Working under Administrator Christie Todd Whitman, he managed communications with internal and external stakeholders including governors, legislators, county commissioners, mayors and other state and local officials.

Before joining the president’s administration, Dr. Burnett served as commissioner on the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works, the city's only full-time commission, appointed by Mayor Richard Riordan and unanimously confirmed by the City Council. In this capacity, Dr. Burnett oversaw a department with an annual budget of nearly $1 billion and more than 6,000 employees providing vital public infrastructure, safety and environmental services.

Dr. Burnett also has an impressive management and finance background in the private sector where he served as chief financial and operating officer of a law firm and successfully increased its profitability in less than two years. He was vice president of a $20 million company and successfully led its financial restructuring and was assistant vice president for Union Bank and financial analyst for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

Dr. Burnett has volunteered much of his time serving the community. He is a strong proponent of youth leadership education and spent many years supporting Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership, Inc. (HOBY), a national non-profit organization that seeks out, recognizes, and develops the leadership potential of young people. He most notably served two years as president of the Board of Directors of California HOBY. Dr. Burnett has been involved in many other non-profit organizations serving on the Executive Committee of the California State Society, Board of Directors of the Westchester Family YMCA and Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce. He was president of the Los Angeles Young Executives of America where he organized successful events featuring prominent individuals such as President Ronald Reagan, Governor Pete Wilson, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Mayor Richard Riordan, Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Braithwaite Burke and George Stephanopoulos, Senior Advisor to President Clinton. Dr. Burnett also previously served on the City of Los Angeles Board of Commissioners for the Environmental Affairs Department and Commission on Affordable Housing.

Dr. Burnett’s leadership and accomplishments have been widely recognized. In 2008 he received the Alumni Public Service Award from the University of California, Riverside for his work at the national, state and local levels of government. In 1999, he was selected among over 5,000 volunteers worldwide as the HOBY National Volunteer of the Year. Dr. Burnett has also received numerous resolutions and acknowledgements from prominent officials at all levels of government in recognition of his service to the public.

Dr. Burnett holds an Education Doctorate Degree in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University, Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Administrative Studies from the University of California, Riverside. He also has a Certificate for Senior Executives in State and Local Government from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Dr. Burnett is a first generation American and California native. He was born in Los Angeles County and has lived in the area for most of his life. Currently, Dr. Burnett is a proud resident of south Orange County.