MCC Chancellor visits Penn Valley on day of announcement of new president

MCC-Penn Valley was anxiously looking forward to welcoming MCC Chancellor Mark James for his campus visit Tuesday. The visit was part of the chancellor's yearlong luncheon meetings with students, staff and faculty at each of the district's five campuses. But this visit was definitely far from ordinary because it was held moments after Penn Valley's new president, Joe Seabrooks, was announced.

"The vision was there. The passion was there," James stated as he explained his decision to appoint Seabrooks to the presidency.

James also praised Seabrooks for his open, honest communication style. "He's not going to tell you what you want to hear," said James. "He's going to tell you what you need to hear. And he has the courage to make decisions."

Seabrooks expressed gratitude for the appointment and excitement for leading Penn Valley. "We are so poised for greatness," he said. "We've been great for so long. Now we need to be phenomenal."

James also shared that he will make policy recommendations to the board on May 12. "In the end, I will do what's best for MCC in the long haul. It's a stark reality that we have to make serious changes to the way we've operated."

The chancellor said the decisions he will make will not be easy, but are necessary for MCC's future. "Failure is not in my vocabulary," the chancellor stated. "Student success is what MCC stands for. We need to make sure we're focusing on success at an excellent level."



Penn Valley President Joe Seabrooks shares his vision for guiding Penn Valley to new levels of excellence.

Chancellor James expressed his confidence in new president Joe Seabrooks.