Dr. Carlos Peñaloza

Chancellor, Leeward Community College - Pearl City, HI

Dr. Carlos Peñaloza serves as the dual Chancellor for Leeward Community College and the University of Hawaii–West Oahu. A champion for workforce innovation and regional economic development, he leads efforts to build robust, practical educational pathways that directly support Hawaii’s agricultural and food sectors.

Dr. Peñaloza has spearheaded key ag-tech and workforce infrastructure initiatives, including the opening of the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center and the expansion of the Waianae Moku Education Center. He is dedicated to fostering cross-sector partnerships among higher education, government, and local entrepreneurs to strengthen the local food system pipeline—connecting hands-on technical training, research, and value-added processing to commercial markets.

A biologist by training with over a decade of biomedical research experience and 20 years in higher education leadership, he previously served as Provost at Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences and Vice Chancellor at Metropolitan Community College. A native of Venezuela and a proud product of the community college system, Dr. Peñaloza holds an A.S. in Liberal Arts alongside a B.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Biology from the City University of New York (CUNY).