Dr. Ron Kraft Tapped for Napa Valley College Superintendent/President

Dr. Ron Kraft has been selected as the Napa Valley College Superintendent/President, the college Trustees announced at their regular monthly meeting Thursday evening.

Dr. Kraft has served as the college’s Interim Superintendent/President since August 2012.

 “After a thorough and highly inclusive search process that began in the fall of 2012, the search committee -- composed of students, members of the Napa Valley College community, the community at-large, and three members of the NVC Board of Trustees -- forwarded four candidates to the full Board for their consideration," said Board of Trustees President Michael Baldini.
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"Trustee Rafael Rios and myself, with representatives of the Search Committee, then conducted additional interviews of specific constituency groups on campus to support the Board's further deliberation," Baldini said. "Our unanimous conclusion was Dr. Ron Kraft.”

Baldini said the Trustees were “fully confident in Ron’s ability to continue to successfully lead Napa Valley College," he said.  "As demonstrated by his proactive and transparent management and leadership of the college over the last 10 months as Interim Superintendent / President, Ron has immersed himself in this role and built relationships within the college and larger community to marshal, meld, and temper the resources of the college and within the community to provide a relevant and sustainable education pathway for our students in the years to come.

"We welcome Ron and his wife Janene to Napa Valley," Baldini said.  "On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I wish to thank all those who contributed and aided our selection process.”

Kraft said he was pleased at the announcement.

 “This is an extraordinary moment," Kraft said. "This is a culmination of a career for me and a rare opportunity to work with passionate board leadership, faculty, and staff to transform the way students of all ages experience the process of learning.

"I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of this wonderful community for many, many years,” he said.

In addition to serving most recently as NVC’s Interim Superintendent/President, Kraft has more than 20 years of experience in higher education leadership.  He earned his doctorate in higher education leadership from Capella University in Minnesota with a dissertation on “A Leadership View of Strategic Planning in the Community College.”

His master’s degree is in Career and Technical Education with a B.A. in Business both from San Diego State University. He is a graduate of Grossmont Community College in El Cajon.

 Kraft has served as the President/CEO of MAAS Companies, a management and consulting company devoted to California Community Colleges;  President/CEO of Southern California University of Health Sciences, a WASC accredited university in Whittier, and CEO/President of the Alliance for Corporate Education, a pioneering agency of the Washington State Community and Technical Colleges.

He was also employed at a community college in Virginia. His roots are in California Community Colleges with a background in teaching, among other positions, and with long service on the governing board of Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.

He also has extensive experience on college and community foundations.

Dr. Kraft’s appointment will begin immediately.