Chancellor’s First District Address

Internal communications video supporting district leadership transition

Overview

This project centers on the creation of an internal communications video developed for Tammeil Gilkerson, Chancellor of the Peralta Community College District. The video premiered during the District’s Spring Flex Day, a district-wide professional development and community convening held immediately prior to the start of the academic term.

The piece was designed to introduce leadership vision, reinforce shared values, and provide a unifying narrative moment for faculty, staff, and administrators across the district.

Standalone internal communications video

Event Context

Spring Flex Day is hosted annually by the District on the Thursday preceding the first day of instruction. It serves as a collective gathering point before colleges transition into their individual campus-based Flex Days on Friday.

The Chancellor’s address functions as the district’s opening moment. It sets tone, intention, and direction before the academic year formally begins.

The video was intentionally positioned near the conclusion of the address, acting as a visual and emotional summation of the themes introduced throughout the presentation.

Role & Collaboration

This project was a collaborative effort between myself and Faiza Ali. During the Chancellor’s campus visits, Faiza captured motion video using a mobile device while I photographed parallel moments across the same environments.

I led post-production, shaping the narrative structure, editing, and pacing of the final piece. A key creative decision was the intentional pairing of moving footage with corresponding still photographs, allowing moments to transition seamlessly between motion and image while maintaining visual continuity.

This hybrid capture approach made it possible to produce a polished, cinematic result with limited setup time, while remaining responsive to the pace and authenticity of live campus activity.

Approach

The video was built around rhythm, contrast, and emotional timing. Motion footage was used to establish presence and momentum, while still photography provided moments of focus, reflection, and visual punctuation.

The edit was synchronized to Stand Up for Something by Andra Day, reinforcing themes of resilience, purpose, and collective strength. Music and imagery were aligned deliberately, allowing visual transitions to rise and resolve with the score rather than compete with it.

The result was a piece that felt composed and intentional, yet grounded in real campus moments and community presence.

Presentation Context

The video was presented during Peralta Community College District Spring Flex Day as part of Tammeil Gilkerson’s first district-wide address. It was intentionally embedded into the closing portion of the live presentation, serving as a visual and narrative culmination of the themes introduced throughout the program.

The full address is publicly available, with the internal communications video appearing in the final segment of the presentation. The standalone version is included here to highlight the work as a distinct communications artifact within the broader address.

Outcome

The video opens and closes with a slate featuring the phrase “Passion. Purpose. Possibilities.” Introduced by the Chancellor during her address, the line articulates a renewed vision for the District itself, distinct from individual college identities.

More than a closing device, the phrase was positioned as a statement of direction and responsibility for the District Office, signaling a shift toward revitalization, clarity of mission, and service-oriented leadership. Its inclusion at both the beginning and end of the video reinforced the message as a framing principle rather than a tagline.

Since the presentation, “Passion. Purpose. Possibilities.” has been adopted as the District’s guiding motto, anchoring leadership messaging and internal communications moving forward. The video now stands as one of the earliest narrative artifacts to formally introduce and contextualize this vision for the district community.

Why this work matters

This project demonstrates the ability to translate executive vision into clear, accessible communication. It reflects an understanding of internal audiences, institutional dynamics, and the role of visual storytelling in leadership transitions.