GCC board of trustees vote to keep Viar at the helm through June 2019

David Viar will remain at the helm of Glendale Community College for another three years, following a vote by the college’s board of trustees to extend his contract.

When college Trustee Ann Ransford voted recently on Viar’s contract extension, she said she was approving the contract “with great pleasure.”

Meanwhile, fellow Trustee Armine Hacopian jokingly said to Viar, “You’re chained to this college.”

For his part, Viar said he is proud to remain as the college’s superintendent/president, a role he was first hired for in 2013, having moved to Glendale from Sacramento, where he was president of American River College.

“I really am very honored to be serving Glendale Community College because our faculty and staff are focused on student success and meeting the needs of our community,” he said when reached by phone on Friday.

Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with your community >>

“I am pleased to see the work being done on a variety of student success initiatives and the efforts to assure that all students are given an opportunity to succeed,” he added.

As part of his new contract, Viar will earn $270,324 a year through June 30, 2019.

One of Viar’s key upcoming responsibilities appears to be emerging as college officials are considering asking Glendale voters to approve a general-obligation bond this November, and Viar said he is prepared to communicate the need for a bond.

The trustees have not yet approved a formal resolution to back a bond plan or decided on the amount of money they would seek, but they are expected to make those decisions within the next couple of months.

In a pamphlet mailed to residents this week, Viar stated how a bond could support the campus with technology upgrades and improvements to structures that were built over more than years ago. He also encouraged local residents to call or email him with questions or input.

In addition to a possible bond passage, Viar said he’s looking forward to drafting a new strategic plan for the college early next year to examine “where we need to improve to stay at the top of the colleges in the greater Los Angeles region,” he said.

In addition, Viar said he aims for the college to serve “as many people in the community as we can,” with a diverse group of faculty and staff who reflect the students served by the college.

“That’s what we do,” he said. “Serve people, get them educated and moved on.”

In the meantime, Viar said he is happy to call Glendale home with his wife, Jane.

“We realize how special this community is, and we’re very pleased to be a part of it,” he said.

--

Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan

MORE EDUCATION

Glendale school officials weigh measures that could help fund local facilities, education

College View School hosts its 10th annual car wash to raise money for field trips

Glendale Unified’s pilot program for students with autism gets high marks