Preparing Students for the Future
As Steve wraps up the last few months of
his service as Gavilan’s president and super-
intendent, the college is fiscally healthy
and increasingly relevant to the changing
educational needs of its students, which
number around 9,000. Steve gave much of
the credit to the board of trustees.
“During my years with Gavilan, the
college has benefitted from a stable, unified
board of trustees that is connected to the
local community and passionate about
their service,” Steve said. “They under-
stand that our college district must have
qualified faculty, proper facilities and an
appropriate mix of accredited programs,
or we risk losing students to colleges in
the north.”
Gavilan programs are meeting demand
for skilled workers in nursing, water
resource management, aviation and other
professions. The new Coyote Valley
campus will provide essential training
facilities for police, fire, EMT and other
public safety workers. It will also offer
evening classes for students in a variety
of degree programs, with the potential to
expand and serve up to 10,000 students
in the coming years.
Gavilan is also sensitive to the needs of
under-served and under-prepared students
in South County. The college district
serves an immigrant population with the
need to overcome language and literacy
challenges. The school’s free non-credit
program is open to non-documented
students to equip them for higher learning
and degree programs.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
“Gavilan operates in three
communities, each with
an individual identity and
needs. It takes someone with
a big picture view. Steve
has that. He led the college
through a tough recession,
without the need for layoffs,
and dealt with the ebb and
flow of government funding.”
Jeff Perkins,
SVP and Regional Manager
Heritage Bank
MAY/JUNE 2016
gmhtoday.com
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