October 5, 2018

Dear CSTCM Board, Administrators, Faculty, Students, and Graduates:

After great thought with a lot of mixed emotions, and almost thirty wonderful and professionally very satisfying years as President, I have decided it is time for me to retire as the President of CSTCM and ride off quietly into the sunset. My retirement will be effective October 1, 2018.

I revealed not so long ago that one day in the not-too-distant future, I would step down as President of CSTCM. I have realized that my retirement time is now. This is a somewhat difficult and emotional announcement to make. I am very thankful for all those who have supported me over the years and for the students, graduates, administrative staff, faculty, advisory board, and community members who always brought energy to CSTCM and made my job fulfilling.

I have been blessed to have had a long career at CSTCM. But, the time has come where I decided that my next step is retirement. I do not want this announcement to overshadow all of the great things that will be going on at the school during the coming years. However, I have made my decision and wanted to share it with the campus community.

I want to thank everyone for their contributions to the success of CSTCM during my tenure here. In sometimes extraordinarily complex and challenging times, you have helped the school achieve excellent results.

As President, my focus was to create a TCM college experience for students and actively engage in that experience. This is the reason we have always tried to improve our campus, made sure appropriate support services were readily available to students, and worked very hard to promote a culture of inclusion for everyone. We have not been perfect, but we have tried our best to provide a quality TCM educational experience. A priority for me in the earlier years of the school was to get to personally know each and every administrator, faculty member, and student so that CSTCM could better serve their educational needs.

I tried my best to guide CSTCM through its transition from a diploma program into accredited master’s degree programs, and the success of our hundreds of alumni are testament to CSTCM’s focus on the college’s mission.

I am proud of the progress and accomplishments achieved by the school over what will be almost a 30-year tenure as President, and also being one of the founders of the school in 1989.

I will miss each and every one of you. As long as everyone continues to contribute with the same passion and tenacity, CSTCM is exceptionally well-positioned for the future and will continue to be an outstanding TCM school.

I have confidence that the timing of my retirement will allow the CSTCM Board of Directors to address the new opportunities, challenges and transformations the college will face.

The Board of Directors is committed to staying on the course that we have set and expects to maintain the momentum of the work we have begun. This is a good time for a new President to take the helm and lead CSTCM to its next stage of development.

The direction of the school will be under Mark Manton as President. Mark has also been an integral part of CSTCM for the past 30 years. He knows the school well. I look forward to any opportunities to still serve this wonderful school; although I admit it is in good hands and can do very well without any contributions from me in the future.

Finally, I would like everyone at the school to know how pleased I am to have had the opportunity to lead CSTCM. My years at this wonderful school have been the best of my working life. And my many positive experiences here, both professional and personal, will always be remembered fondly. I am excited about my approaching retirement, but wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your dedication and hard work. I have genuinely enjoyed being the CSTCM President and will miss all of you when my retirement final day comes. It has been a privilege to work with you and a memory I will always cherish.

I have not been perfect, but I have always tried to do what was best for CSTCM. It has been a wonderful journey. I leave this job with a profound sense of gratitude to the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, administrators, faculty, students, and alumni who have been intellectual partners, have challenged me and supported me, and made my job so rewarding. I have been fortunate to work with superb staff over the years, committed to excellence in their work, and with a passion for the mission of CSTCM. Finally, I leave inspired by the students I met during the many years; the many community leaders and national organizations that made education a priority; and the dedicated educators who are committed to their students’ success.

I hope that you will extend an invitation to me to visit occasionally since these halls and those who have passed through them have made a huge impact on me.

Mark has suggested some kind of retirement party. I respectfully decline having a party, but thank you. Please respect my wishes and just let me ride off quietly into the sunset.

With appreciation,

George H. Kitchie
President, CSTCM