Skagit Valley College President Christopher Villa was terminated Thursday after more than three years at the helm of the Mount Vernon community college.
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to end Villa’s contract, the college announced Friday, Jan. 16.
Few details have been released, but the college stated that Villa was terminated “for convenience.” He began his tenure as president in September 2022. Villa previously held leadership roles at colleges in California and Oregon.
“The Board is committed to acting decisively and thoughtfully to ensure continuity of leadership and stability for the college,” the board stated in a news release. “The search for an interim president will begin immediately. In the meantime, the Board will soon designate a lead administrator to ensure ongoing operations and support for the college community.”
On the Skagit Valley College website, Villa is described as an “experienced community college leader” who established “a clear focus on increasing student access and enrollment, achieving student success, expanding equity practices and programming, and building a stronger connection with the campus and local community.”
The college conducted two special meetings with executive sessions on Monday and Thursday to “review the performance of a public employee” and to discuss legal risks “of a proposed action or current practice.”
Another special meeting is on Saturday, Jan. 17, to appoint a lead administrator for the college.
Kip Zwolenski, the college’s faculty union president, said the union’s executive council will submit an open letter to the Board of Trustees on the termination in the coming days.
Broadly, the union is looking to collaborate with the board in this time of instability and leadership transition on campus, Zwolenski said.
The college will conduct a national search for a new president, according to the release. A timeline for the search has not yet been set.
“The Board extends its sincere gratitude to Dr. Villa for his service to SVC and for his leadership during his tenure,” the release states. “We thank him for his dedication to the institution and the students, faculty, staff, and communities it serves, and we wish him well in his future endeavors.“
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.