Plans for the campus and visions for future

Top​ ​dog,​ ​head​ ​honcho,​ ​the​ ​big​ ​cheese​ ​all​ ​of​ ​these​ ​titles​ ​mean​ ​one​ ​thing,​ ​person​ ​in​ ​charge.

Darren​ ​Pitcher,​ ​the​ ​acting​ ​president​ ​of​ ​SFCC​ ​is​ ​in​ ​charge​ ​of​ ​many​ ​different​ ​parts​ ​of​ ​the​ ​campus. He’s​ ​here​ ​to​ ​oversee​ ​campus​ ​operation,​ ​provide​ ​leadership​ ​and​ ​support​ ​the​ ​faculty​ ​of​ ​SFCC.

In​ ​fact,​ ​Pitcher​ ​is​ ​in​ ​charge​ ​of​ ​almost​ ​everything.​ ​He​ ​has​ ​gone​ ​through​ ​many​ ​different​ ​steps​ ​and positions​ ​to​ ​get​ ​from​ ​a​ ​community​ ​college​ ​student​ ​to​ ​taking​ ​on​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​acting​ ​president​ ​of​ ​the SFCC​ ​campus.

Pitcher​ ​is​ ​in​ ​charge​ ​of​ ​many​ ​different​ ​parts​ ​of​ ​the​ ​campus​ ​that​ ​affect​ ​everyone​ ​attending​ ​SFCC, but​ ​this​ ​isn’t​ ​where​ ​he​ ​started,​ ​not​ ​even​ ​close.​ ​His​ ​journey​ ​started​ ​at​ ​a​ ​community​ ​college​ ​in Montana.​ ​He​ ​took​ ​online​ ​classes​ ​while​ ​working​ ​full​ ​time.​ ​His​ ​community​ ​college​ ​experience​ ​was considered​ ​“non-traditional.”

“There​ ​wasn’t​ ​as​ ​many​ ​resources​ ​then,”​ ​said​ ​Pitcher.​ ​“There​ ​wasn’t​ ​any​ ​career​ ​counseling, there​ ​wasn’t​ ​an​ ​orientation,​ ​and​ ​no​ ​FASFA​ ​either.”

During​ ​his​ ​journey​ ​through​ ​community​ ​college​ ​he​ ​even​ ​changed​ ​his​ ​major.​ ​Through​ ​all​ ​of​ ​this, Pitcher​ ​said​ ​he​ ​had​ ​a​ ​great​ ​experience​ ​and​ ​that​ ​it​ ​“literally​ ​changed​ ​his​ ​life”.

He​ ​gained​ ​his​ ​major​ ​and​ ​ended​ ​up​ ​on​ ​the​ ​path​ ​to​ ​success.​ ​He​ ​obtained​ ​his​ ​doctorate​ ​in education​ ​leadership​ ​and​ ​change​ ​with​ ​an​ ​emphasis​ ​on​ ​community​ ​college​ ​leadership.​ ​He​ ​wants to​ ​give​ ​others​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​experience​ ​to​ ​what​ ​he​ ​had​ ​in​ ​college,​ ​he​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​give​ ​that​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the students.

That’s​ ​exactly​ ​how​ ​he​ ​found​ ​himself​ ​in​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​acting​ ​president.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​the​ ​vice​ ​president​ ​for thirteen​ ​years​ ​at​ ​a​ ​college​ ​in​ ​Montana.​ ​He​ ​then​ ​made​ ​a​ ​leap​ ​over​ ​to​ ​Spokane​ ​and​ ​got​ ​the​ ​job​ ​as vice​ ​president​ ​of​ ​student​ ​services​ ​for​ ​five​ ​years​ ​and​ ​then​ ​vice​ ​president​ ​of​ ​learning​ ​for​ ​the 2016-2017​ ​school​ ​year.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​vice​ ​president​ ​he​ ​oversaw​ ​everything​ ​from​ ​Title​ ​IX​ ​to​ ​student services​ ​to​ ​campus​ ​management.

Though​ ​he​ ​loved​ ​being​ ​vice​ ​president,​ ​he​ ​was​ ​“not​ ​in​ ​the​ ​action​ ​as​ ​much”​ ​said​ ​Pitcher.

“Each​ ​of​ ​the​ ​positions​ ​have​ ​their​ ​own​ ​appeal,”​ ​said​ ​Pitcher.​ ​“I​ ​couldn’t​ ​pick​ ​between​ ​the​ ​two.”

He​ ​has​ ​a​ ​vision​ ​for​ ​this​ ​campus,​ ​he​ ​wants​ ​“to​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​what​ ​really​ ​matters,”​ ​said​ ​Pitcher.

He​ ​has​ ​a​ ​recipe​ ​for​ ​success,​ ​“focusing​ ​on​ ​employee​ ​care,​ ​operational​ ​excellence,​ ​student success,​ ​community​ ​connections​ ​and​ ​campus​ ​culture,”​ ​said​ ​Pitcher.

“Valuing​ ​the​ ​people,​ ​and​ ​letting​ ​them​ ​work​ ​so​ ​they​ ​can​ ​do​ ​what​ ​they​ ​love”​ ​is​ ​Pitcher’s​ ​idea​ ​for creating​ ​and​ ​improving​ ​the​ ​environment​ ​for​ ​the​ ​teaching​ ​staff​ ​and​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​employees​ ​on campus.​ ​Pitcher​ ​is​ ​a​ ​man​ ​with​ ​a​ ​plan,​ ​and​ ​plans​ ​on​ ​running​ ​for​ ​SFCC​ ​president​ ​this​ ​upcoming election.