Sierra College President Leo Chavez has announced that he’ll retire after one more year at the helm. This is the e-mail he just sent to the entire college staff to let them know the news.

After much thought and deliberation I have tendered my letter of retirement effective June 30^th, 2011 to the Board of Trustees. I do such with decidedly mixed emotions knowing I am leaving a great opportunity working with such wonderful, skilled, and dedicated colleagues.  I wish I could give you a simple reason for my decision, but there are many, some simple and some complicated, so all I will say is that it is time. I have had the honor to work in our system since 1978 and I have been a CEO since 1989. I told myself a long time ago I would leave when things were going well rather than hang around too long and be pushed out as has happened to far too many of my colleagues nationwide. In other words, there is nothing negative about my decision, nor do I fear for the future. It is simply time.

I have told the Board that I will work with them to effect a smooth transition and that, having no definitive plans, I could remain until a new President is found or otherwise perform any other duties the board may find of use to the district after June 30^th of next year. I am, however, looking forward to the day I wake up and have to decide what I would like to do that day.  In the meantime, we have much work to do and I look forward to a very productive year working with all of you.

Leo has been precisely the leader Sierra College needed to make the major changes in direction that the Board wanted to make over the last four years. While I wish he could have stayed here for another five or ten, he has accomplished everything the board has asked him to do.

He deserves the thanks of every taxpayer, student, faculty and staff member at Sierra College for his service – and we look forward to his continued leadership during this next year as we start to plan a transition.