Napa Valley College community is mourning the sudden death of Dr. Chris McCarthy. Superintendent/ president of the college since 2002, Dr. McCarthy was the seventh president in the college’s history.
From the outset of his presidency, Dr. McCarthy made a difference on the Napa Valley College campus. His keen intelligence and positive energy inspired confidence, and his natural warmth and great sense of humor made knowing him an absolute pleasure. A former community college English instructor, Dr. McCarthy’s passion for learning was at the heart of who he was. He understood the faculty perspective and modeled the intellectual curiosity that is the hallmark of a true educational leader. The campus community appreciated that he was an eloquent speaker, gifted writer, and an outstanding representative of Napa Valley College. He attracted the most talented new faculty and staff, and their commitment to staying at the college in order to work under his leadership contributed to the stability and continuity of the college. His friendship was valued by everyone who knew him.
Dr. McCarthy was an educational leader of whom the entire campus community was enormously proud. He created an effective leadership team that worked well together, and he enjoyed positive relationships with all campus constituent groups. The strength and cohesiveness of the college board was the result of the deep respect he earned from trustees, and the partnerships he built with community and industry leaders contributed to the excellence of college programs and services.
A visionary leader, Dr. McCarthy transformed college facilities for the benefit of future generations of students. He guided the college district through a successful campaign for a $133.8 million general facilities bond that funded a new Life Sciences Building, Performing Arts Center, Auxiliary Gymnasium and Ceramics Building, along with improvements at the college’s Upper Valley Campus in St. Helena. He led the development of a sustainable, environmentally friendly campus with green technology featured in new campus buildings, a new chiller plant, and a 6.5 acre photovoltaic field.
During his presidency, the college achieved many milestones. The ADN program was doubled in size, thanks to partnerships with area hospitals, and the Wine Country Simulation Center for Nursing Education opened in Yountville. The college winery was bonded, making it the first college winery in California able to sell the student-made wine. A Corrections Academy, Human Services Certificate and Paramedic Program were established, as was a Hospitality Degree Program and Hospitality Institute. The Puente and Umoja Programs, aimed at increasing success among Latino and African American students, were established. He was honored with the Shirley B. Gordon Award for Distinguished Leadership by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and was supportive and proud of the Napa Valley College students who received state, national and chapter Phi Theta Kappa honors. The Napa Valley College Foundation was re-organized and fundraising plans put in place, especially to support the new buildings. On-site BA completion programs with St. Mary’s College and CSU Sonoma were established. He implemented the NVC Diversity Task Force Plan and “Stop the Hate” campaign, as well as personally appearing in a production of the Laramie Project that was held at the Napa Valley Opera House. He received the Chancellor’s Office Diversity Award for Faculty Hiring in 2004.
Dr. McCarthy was a regular at college plays and concerts, and he supported college athletes by attending their competitions. Students in EOPS, MESA, and other Student Support Programs could always count on his supportive presence. Each year, he was a participant in the acclaimed Napa Valley College Writers’ Conference, and he was a writing judge for the annual Jessamyn West Creative Writing Contest. The Napa Valley College Forum he hosted on local educational cable television was honored with the People’s Choice Award.
Dr. McCarthy was a widely-respected statewide and national educational leader and was nominated for the national ACCT Outstanding CEO Award for 2009. At the time of his death, he was president of California Colleges for International Education (CCIE), chair of the California Community Colleges’ Economic Development and Planning Advisory Committee, a commissioner with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a member of the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Community College Leadership Development Initiative. He was co-facilitator of the Vineyard Leadership Symposium and had formerly served on the California Community Colleges CEO Board.
Dr. McCarthy earned a Doctor of Education and Master of Arts degrees from UCLA, a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from University of Oregon, and a Bachelor of Arts from Immaculate Heart College. He has published in educational journals, and various pieces have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and numerous other publications. Dr. McCarthy previously served as the executive vice president of instructional services at Glendale Community College and in various positions (including dean of academic affairs, chairman of the Communications Division and professor of English) at Los Angeles Harbor College.