Dena Maloney, the first female President of El Camino College, will retire at the end of the upcoming 2020-21 academic year after nearly five and a half years in office.

The first official announcement was made during the July 20 Board of Trustees meeting, and students were notified separately in a statement made by Maloney sent via email on July 21.

“Serving as the Superintendent/President of El Camino College has been the highlight of my career in higher education,” Maloney said in a statement.

As schools have faced unique challenges this year due to COVID-19, Maloney hopes to bring students back to campus by the time she retires, according to her statement.

Some notable achievements in Maloney’s time at ECC include expansion of the South Bay Promise program, improvement in graduation rates, and the construction of three new buildings.

“Rest assured that my commitment to serving you, our students, is unwavering,” Maloney said in a statement sent to all ECC students via email.

Correction: The number of years that President Maloney has been in office was corrected from four to five and a half.