Dr. Kathy Hart, President and Superintendent of San Joaquin Delta College, announced last month that she will retire in September. After working for 25 years at Delta, she has decided to dedicate her time to other projects in the community.
The success of students at Delta are a topic on Hart’s mind as she enters retirement.
“I just wish the absolute best for all of them. I think that some of the changes we’re going to make over the next few years are gonna be really good for them, the Guided Pathways and AB-705, acceleration of the English and Math. They’re not going to be without bumps in the road, but I really think they’re the right thing to do for students. I’m concerned about not just students, but students and their families because so many of our students, they have families who need them,” said Hart.
In addition to her role at Delta, she is currently a member of the board of directors for the California Community College Athletics Association, the Haggin Museum board, and she was formerly on the Stockton Arts Commission.
The board of trustees will hire a consultant to oversee the nationwide search for Delta’s next president/superintendent.
Students will have an opportunity to observe the finalists for Hart’s position. The process of replacing Hart will be conducted behind closed doors until a few candidates are selected, then an open forum will be held. The public will be allowed to ask questions during the forum after hearing presentations and examinations, according to Hart.
Hart had some thoughts on who would replace her. “I would be happy to see another [female president], what I really want is the very best person for the job,” said Hart.
She had intended to retire before she was appointed acting president in 2012, after embattled former president Jeff Marsee was placed on leave by the board of trustees. She was named president later that year, and oversaw many projects at Delta, including the completion of the Science and Math Building and the removal of Cunningham.
She participates in iHub San Joaquin, an innovation hub dedicated to economic development. This allows Delta students to participate in H20 Hackathon, a competition focused on “solving on-the-ground challenges for using water in urban and agricultural applications as efficiently as possible.”