January 19, 2022

College Community -

At the Board of Trustees work session earlier today, I announced my intention to retire as president of Wenatchee Valley College effective June 30, 2022.

All of us want our lives to make a difference. In Parker Palmer's terms, we want our lives and our work to speak on behalf of values that we hold most dear.

When I was a young boy growing up, I remember listening to my father, who was also a president of a college, and other faculty members in my family's home talking with passion about their work. Some described what they were doing to unlock in their students the capacity to think and learn and grow. Others talked about how their work was making a difference in the communities they served. Little did I know then that those stories would inform so much of what would come much later in my life.

Over the past 45 years, I've experienced the most important and satisfying work of my life. In the past 17 years, not a day has gone by when I've not been inspired by the work of this college and those who comprise it. But Kim and I have decided that the time is right for me to retire as president of Wenatchee Valley College.

It's been a great honor to represent both Wenatchee Valley College and our communities. I've had 17 years working with some of the strongest governing boards in the country. I've had the privilege of working side by side with some of the most talented and committed administrators, faculty, and staff that I've ever known. And Kim and I have had the opportunity to work with an enormous array of talented and committed leaders from throughout our district and beyond on initiatives that make a difference in the lives of others.

Today, we should celebrate that Wenatchee Valley College has come of age as a fully mature, modern, community college offering degrees that students and industries in our district need and want. We are poised for the future, whatever it may be. In a thousand different ways, our work speaks on behalf of the most important and noble virtues that anyone could ever embrace. Together we've worked to make WVC the foundation on which our students and our community can translate dreams into reality.

Is there more important work we could be doing? I don't think so.

It is time for fresh leadership at Wenatchee Valley College. Time to continue the work we are doing as a team and build on our accomplishments. The time is right as we have a strengthening financial situation and a strong leadership team who will be able to make the transition to a new president as smooth as possible.

There will be other opportunities for us to speak of these matters but, for now, Kim and I want to thank the Board of Trustees and the entire WVC community for the opportunity to be a part of this important work.

Thank you.

Jim