Allan Hancock College has named Kevin Walthers its new president and superintendent.

Walthers, who will take up the top post at the Santa Maria campus in early July, comes from Las Positas College in Livermore. Allan Hancock said he was selected after a nationwide search that was launched when former president and superintendent José Ortiz departed last year to become chancellor of California’s Peralta Community College District. Elizabeth Miller has been the interim leader of Allan Hancock since July 2012.

Before he joined Las Positas College, Walters served as an executive with the Utah State Board of Regents, the College of Eastern Utah, and in a joint role for the West Virginia Community and Technical College System and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. He began his career as an educator as a high school teacher in Texas.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Walthers to Allan Hancock College,” Board President Larry Lahr said in a news release. “He is a great fit for the college and our community. Dr. Walthers’ enthusiasm for the position and the community, coupled with his excellent leadership and management experience, will serve us well.”