Clover Park Technical College President Dr. Sharon McGavick announced her retirement to the college community Thursday. Her retirement will be effective October 1, 2006.
Dr. McGavick, college president for eight years, said that this was one of her toughest decisions to make. She shared with staff that her father taught her an important lesson to always give back and exceed expectations. McGavick said that she is proud to leave Clover Park better than when I found it.
Jose Veliz III, Chair of the CPTC Board of Trustees shared with the staff that it is going to be very difficult to find a leader and a manager to fill (McGavicks) shoes.
Dr. McGavick has led the College through tremendous transition. In 1997 when first hired, McGavick inherited a college that was not accredited, equipped with antiquated telephones and computers, and fraught with financial challenges. The College at that time was losing over 200 FTEs annually and had an inequitable pay structure. Only 68 degrees were granted in 1997.
Under McGavick s leadership the College has grown into a leading technical college graduating 279 students with two year degrees and 951 students with certificates annually. The college campus is now physically transformed with more than $64m in public capital investments resulting in state of the art facilities including an automotive training facility, a new childcare center, an aviation campus in South Hill, and a renovated industrial trade facility.
The Colleges information technology infrastructure is cutting edge and the Colleges financial infrastructure is sound. McGavick said when I came to Clover Park we did not know the true nature of our finances however after transitioning from the K-12 system and instilling sound financial procedures Clover Park has a healthy reserve, I am very proud of that. Clover Park Technical College received full accreditation status in 2004.
During McGavicks tenure as president she served in many leadership capacities both in the community and within the two-year college system. McGavick served on the Tacoma City Council from 1994 to 2004 and as Deputy Mayor in 2002. In addition, she served as the first technical college and second female president of the Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges. A prestigious position voted upon by her peer presidents.
