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By Alexa Lima
Dr. Mark Sanchez is not quite ready for the beach.
On a 3-1 vote the 51-year-old Southwestern College president received a two-year extension that will take him through June 2026. Trustee Corina Soto opposed and said he should get a one-year extension and be placed on a helping plan. Soto also dissented on a largely positive review of Sanchez conducted by the governing board.
Sanchez’s new contract includes a 6.5 percent cost of living increase, raising his annual salary to $282,570. He earned $250,000 when the college hired him March 2021. His monthly vehicle allowance will increase to $1,700. His current contract expires this month.
Sanchez called the extension “humbling.”
“It made me very proud because when (the board members) did that they basically affirmed they were pleased with my leadership,” he said.
Sanchez said his most important responsibility as president is to create space for students to feel welcomed on campus and to help ensure a pathway to their goals. He arrived at SC when former president Kindred Murillo unexpectedly resigned citing stress and mental health issues. The Coronavirus pandemic was in full bloom and economic insecurities had shrunk the district’s budget and enrollment, Sanchez said. A slice of college resources were diverted to help alleviate students’ food and housing insecurities, he said.
“I would not be in this position if it were not for my experiences,” he said. “The things that I learned here a Southwestern College set me up to go on and do great things.”
Sanchez said he understands that with great power comes great responsibility and second guessing comes with the territory.
“When you are a leader of a large organization there is no decision you are going to make making everyone happy,” he said. “There comes a time that as a leader you have to make hard decisions around what is in the best interest of the organization.”
Watching students walk across the stage at commencement is his favorite part of the job, he said.
When he was offered an extension Sanchez said he conferred with his wife before accepting. He said he would like to retire early, enjoy the beach and spend time with his family.
Sand and sun will have to wait, he said. He hopes his legacy at Southwestern will include the creation of student housing on campus and more financial aid. He said he would also like to see additional Bachelor’s degree programs offered on campus for place bound students.
Sanchez said he is a fan of SC’s dual enrollment program that encourages talented high school students to take college courses.
“I want to help build a system to help younger students so that by the time they graduate high school they are halfway through a Bachelor’s or have an Associate’s degree.”
Soto said she voted against a multi-year extension for Sanchez because he had “at times demonstrated poor judgment.” She said she favored a one-year pact and closer supervision by the board in part, she said, because “Southwestern College has a history of presidents who go off the rails once they get an extension.”
