Adios, Sr. Olivarez
By Yirssi Bergman
News Editor

GRCC’s president Juan Olivarez announced his resignation after nine years of service to the college.

Olivarez, 58, is leaving on July 1 to lead the Kalamazoo Community Foundation as their new president and CEO.

Olivarez said he “feels ready to try on a new challenge.”

He said he feels like the college is in a good place even though the mileages didn’t pass, and nothing pressing is going on at the college at this time.

“The opportunity came forward, I’ve had other opportunities but it wasn’t the right time,” Olivarez said. “This one seemed to be right, perfect for me and what I like to do. Something that is also different, but using my skills, knowledge and background.”

Olivarez was at the college for 17 years, and was appointed president a little over nine years ago. He beat 47 other people in the quest for the presidency. Gary P. Schenk, GRCC Board of Trustees chairperson said in a press release “I will always be proud of the choice this board made 10 years ago when it selected Juan Olivarez for the presidency.”

“We didn’t know at that time just how good a choice we made.” Academic Secretary Gretchen Robinson said, “I was quite surprised that he was leaving.”

Robinson said he left a legacy of uniting the college towards one mission: that of student success.
Ken Taber, Adjunct Professor of Sociology believes Olivarez will be hard to replace. Taber has known Olivarez for over 12 years from the community.“He’ll stop me down the street, say ‘hello’ and ask about the family, not many people are like that,” Taber said.

Professor of Psychology Frank Conner believes Olivarez has “done a good job of creating a collaborative culture.” Conner says Olivarez had a positive effect on the college. “I would like him to stay on longer, but I understand his desire to move on.” Conner said.

Gary Schenk said that the board has begun discussing the process to hire a new president and an interim. The Board of Trustees will be conducting a national search for Olivarez’s replacement.

Olivarez holds a doctorate in family and child ecology from Michigan State University, a master’s degree in educational psychology from Wayne State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College.

According to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation web site the foundation was formed in 1925 by Dr. W. E. Upjohn, with a gift of $1,000. He helped establish the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. The Community Foundation’s assets have grown to approximately $289 million.

Editor-In-Chief Lonnie Allen contributed to this story.

College not his first choice
By Lonnie Allen
Editor-in-Chief

GRCC President Juan Olivarez never intended to go to college or have education be a big part of his life.

Olivarez planned on going to work in the mills after high school because he had no money for school.
Born in Benavides Texas, Olivarez moved outside of Gary Ind. at the age of seven. This move remains a vivid memory to him.

His father and uncle found work in the steel mills in Indiana. Nine months later, with his family and his uncle’s, they left Texas to join their fathers in Indiana, Olivarez said.

“We loaded up a truck with a tarp over it,” he said.

Drawing a comparison to the novel, “The Grapes Of Wrath,” “My uncle had 12 children, and the three children in my family, along with my grandmother, headed north. We spent three days in that truck moving up here,” Olivarez said. “I remember the move very well. Very vivid.”

Olivarez said his family knew the area well before they moved. Not having very much money, they would migrate to the area to help pick tomatoes in Illinois and cherries in Michigan.

He attended high school in Gary Ind., Olivarez commented on how it was his older brother Al, who was a year ahead of him, along with a persistent school counselor that got him to apply to college.

“I figured I would go to work in the steel mills with my classmates and friends,” Olivarez said. “I just couldn’t afford college.”

His senior counselor insisted he apply to college, but money was an issue. The counselor told him to at least try.

“Al was a track star,” Olivarez said, “We knew he would get scholarships and go to college.”

Olivarez decided to apply to Aquinas: it was where his brother Al was going. The college accepted him and he got a federal loan and got a job on campus mopping floors, he said.

“I was glad I applied and was accepted, and I joined the cross country team with my brother,” Olivarez said. “We became very close during that time, and remain very close today.”

Olivarez’s brother Al speaks about their time together at Aquinas. Al said the life experiences fostered and developed during their time together at Aquinas remain strong today.

“We participated in the same college sport. We worked in the school cafeteria, shared the same college friends; and gave each other inspiration and encouragement to succeed in college,” said Al

Olivarez became aware of the importance of the community and higher education while attending Aquinas.

“Juan developed the desire and confidence that he could have an impact on other people through educational services,” said Al.

Some of the moments Al says are the proud moments for his brother Juan is the numerous events “Where he had the opportunity to encourage and give confidence to the young people to succeed.”

Married 36 years ago, he met his wife Mary at Aquinas and proposed to her in a classroom on campus. He said they were the only two in the classroom when he asked Mary to marry him.

Olivarez worked 20 years for the GRPS school system. He wants to give back what was given to him said Al. As a college student, he recognized the importance in having a college education.

GRCC Hired Olivarez as the Dean of Institutional Research in 1991, and one of his tasks was to organize an IT department. It was in 1999 when the Board of Directors voted and hired Olivarez as the new President of GRCC.

GRCC Board Chairman Gary Schenk recalls the night they called him to tell him he would have the job.
“Jack Day, the Board Chair at the time, called and offered the position to Olivarez,” Schenk said, “the funny thing about it was Olivarez asked, ‘what do you want me to say?’ We responded, ‘say yes’.”

Juan’s vision for GRCC was making it the “Community’s college” said Al.

Schenk believes these will be a difficult pair of shoes to fill, “Olivarez was a big success to this college,” he said.

They could never get him to take a vacation. Olivarez grew as a President as GRCC grew as a college Schenk said. “He was always working.”

One of the most memorable moments Olivarez and Schenk share was one of the first conferences they attended together with Olivarez as president.

“We were all sitting together, Juan and the board members, and there was this big bowl of strawberries sitting on the table that everyone was enjoying,” Schenk said, “Someone asked ‘how do you say strawberry in Spanish, Juan?’ He was quiet for a moment and soon replied, “strawberrio” everyone laughed after that.”

“They will never let me live that down,” Olivarez said, “the board persisted and I soon had to call my mother and ask her how. We always enjoy a good laugh about that day.”

Olivarez said the biggest disappointment for him was after the two milleage proposals failed.
“It is unacceptable to turn students away, and this will always bother me,” Olivarez said. “How do we not turn a student away?”

The growth of the college and the connection with the West Michigan community is and always was Olivarez’s stressing point as President.“As long as I remained President of GRCC, I looked forward to making every opportunity available for everyone interested in this community,” Olivarez said.

Juan Olivarez leaving GRCC
By Lonnie Allen, Charles Jurries
Editor-in-Chief, Web Design Editor

Juan Olivarez is stepping down as President of Grand Rapids Community College after nine years.

He is leaving to become President/CEO of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.

"This has been a very difficult decision for me to make," Olivarez said in a e-mail to staff members. "But I believe this is the right time and the right opportunity for me personally."

Olivarez will stay at GRCC through July 1. The Board of Trustees is already in discussion about how to start the process for a replacement.

Elaine McCormack, Executive Assistant to President Olivarez, said that Olivarez has been the best mentor she's ever had and that she has "the highest respect for him."McCormack expressed happiness for Olivarez and "this wonderful opportunity he has."

Gary Schenk, Chairperson for the GRCC Board of Trustees, said that Olivarez has been a "brilliant success for the college during these past 10 years at the college."

Read The Collegiate and CollegiateLive.com on Wednesday, March 26 for full coverage.

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Biography: Juan Olivarez
From the GRCC web site

Juan R. Olivarez, President of Grand Rapids Community College since 1999, began his career in education in 1971 as a teacher with the Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS). His work for GRPS spanned 20 years during which time he also spent two years working in the Detroit Public Schools.

During his career in education, Olivarez held positions as a school psychologist, Supervisor of Elementary Special Education, Director of High Incidence Programs & Services for Special Education, and Executive Director of Research & Development. In 1991, he became Dean of Institutional Research at Grand Rapids Community College and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of the Community Learning Enterprise in 1996.

Olivarez earned his Ph.D. in Family & Child Ecology from Michigan State University, an M.A. in Educational Psychology from Wayne State University, and his B.A. from Aquinas College.

Olivarez most recently received the West Michigan Regional National Black Nurses Association’s Making a Positive Difference Award, and was named Aquinas College Distinguished Alumni for 2005. He has also received the Faith in Humanity Award from the Hugh Michael Beahan Foundation, the Communicator of the Year Award from the Association of West Michigan Communication Professionals, the Distinguished Community Trustee Award from Leadership Grand Rapids, and the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award, from the Boy Scouts of America for service to youth.

Olivarez is a native of Benavides, Texas and was raised in Gary, Indiana. He has lived in Michigan since 1967. He and his wife, Mary, are the parents of sons Elias and Sam, and the proud grandparents of Isaiah Juan Olivarez, born to Elias and Mindy Olivarez.

Past presidents at GRCC

Jesse Buttrick David (1914-1920), 6 years

Arthur Andrews (1920-1955), 35 years

Dr. John Tirrell (1955-1958), 3 years

Dr. John Visser (1958-1962), 4 years

Dr. Donald Fink (1962-1965), 3 years

Francis J. McCarthy (1965-1975), 10 years

Richard W. Calkins (1975-1999), 23 years

Dr. Juan Olivarez (1999-2008), 9 years

(Compiled by Nicole Hoffman)

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