Kathy Hart leaves pioneering legacy after quarter-century of service at Delta College
STOCKTON — A common theme was apparent when those who know Kathy Hart were tasked with describing the outgoing president/superintendent of San Joaquin Delta College.
Fearless. Dedicated. Smart.
Hundreds of community leaders in government, education and business honored the 73year-old Hart on Wednesday evening for her retirement reception held at Delta College’s Blanchard Gym.
Hart announced her retirement in early January after devoting 25 years of her life to the college.
“I’ve worked long enough and I think I’ve done as much as I can do here,” she said at the time.
Hart was appointed president in 2012, becoming the first woman to serve in that role, according to Delta officials.
A native of Indiana, Hart moved west in 1994 and worked as the assistant division chair for communication skills before moving on to become the dean of planning, research, and regional education, the vice president of instruction and eventually the superintendent/ president.
Steve Castellanos with the Delta College Board of Trustees said all on campus from trustees to faculty will miss her work. She has clearly demonstrated such a level of commitment, her picture should be located in the Webster’s dictionary, he said.
“She has worked tirelessly for so many years to make Delta and the community a better place,” Castellanos said.
“She’s smart and most importantly, she’s humble. I’m glad she chose Stockton to make her home because she has made a phenomenal difference.”
During her tenure, Hart has advocated for community colleges across the state, in part through her service on the California Community College Athletics Association Board of Directors and other organizations.
Just one of her many accomplishments are the community alliances and partnerships she and the college have been able to make. In June, she collaborated with California State University, Stanislaus, officials on a partnership that allows Delta students who meet certain academic standards to be guaranteed enrollment in several courses at CSU’s Stockton Center.
“I’m absolutely proud of the relationships I built in the community; people have really come to associate me with the college,” said Hart. “Those things wouldn’t happen if they didn’t feel like they could contact me.”
As she leaves, Delta College was ranked by WalletHub as being the fourthbest community college in the entire country as well as the top community college in the state.
“Dr. Hart stepped up and if you think back (before), there was low morale and an uncertain future ... a lot of bad things were going on,” recalled Steven Graham, a professor of arts and communication.
“Dr. Hart stepped up and kept the bus going ... there’s no way we would’ve gotten there by accident.”
Among the speakers who reflected on Hart’s tenure at the helm of Delta College were Stockton Symphony Director/Conductor Peter Jaffe, Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce CEO Doug Wilhoit and Gillian Murphy, a newly retired dean of Delta College.
Hart is also known for her passion for community involvement off campus, including her service with the Stockton Arts Commission, the Stockton Symphony Board of Directors and The Haggin Museum Board of Trustees, as well as a number of business and civic organizations.
San Joaquin County Supervisor Kathy Miller highlighted Hart’s tenacity and courage to always try something when it came to services and programs.
“She’s willing to risk failure to innovate and that’s a really fabulous quality,” said Miller. “To me what is most impressive is her commitment to all of our students, regardless of their age, their background, all of our students she’s truly committed to.”
As for retirement plans, Hart said she is looking forward for more time to travel, as she proclaimed herself to be a “workaholic.” She also has no desire to leave Stockton.
Hart’s appointment as superintendent/president brought stability to Delta after a time of rapid turnover. She led Delta to successful reaccreditation in 2014 and spent her time recently working on measures to help the college grow and to ensure that more students have an opportunity to achieve their goals.
In July, Delta College trustees approved 56-yearold Omid Pourzanjani as the school’s 11th superintendent and president.
The contract, approved by a vote of 6-0 with one abstention, went into effect on Aug. 12 and runs through June 30, 2022.
As an Iranian immigrant and first-generation college student, Pourzanjani has spent the past 35 years serving students at various higher-education institutions across California.