President Chris Villa Biogrpahy

Dr. Christopher Villa began his tenure as the seventh President at Skagit Valley College in September 2022.  He has established a clear focus on increasing student access and enrollment, achieving student success, expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and programming, and building a stronger connection with the campus and local community.

As a result, SVC is in the midst of updating its current strategic plan. The intent is to have the board of trustees adopt the plan by the end of the 2024 calendar year.  The new SVC plan will include fundamental strategic priorities that will have an emphasis on increasing student access and success; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and community engagement.

Dr. Villa is an experienced community college leader who earned his bachelor’s degree in social ecology from the University of California, Irvine, a master’s degree in public administration from University of Southern California, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from University of Utah. Dr. Villa has served as an adjunct faculty in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at California State University, Northridge.

Dr. Villa is very active in the local community as he currently serves on the boards of the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County and the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce.  He and his wife Diane have three children, all successful transfer students from community colleges.  He spends his spare time cataloging music, enjoying the outdoors, and going on road trips with Diane.