Shasta College President Gary Lewis said Wednesday that he plans to retire in the next nine to 12 months.
Lewis, 60, said he has not yet submitted a letter of resignation, but he has told members of the college district board of trustees that he plans to retire within a year.
“Gary was the right person at the right time,” Trustee Harold Lucas of Mineral said of Lewis’ hiring in 2006.
“We needed someone who had a feeling for the college and the employees at the college. He had been a part of the college for so long,” Lucas said.
The college has begun the process of looking for a replacement, Lewis said. The board has talked to a consultant about how it wants to recruit a new president, he said.
The college will be advertising locally and nationally for a new president/superintendent, Lewis said. The college also has to appoint a search committee consisting of faculty members, classified employees, students and administrators.
He cited his age, health issues and his length of service as reasons for wanting to retire. Lewis started working for the college in 1975 as a business instructor and head track and cross country coach. He was vice president of academic affairs when he was appointed president in 2006. Mary Retterer resigned that year after less than two years as president.
