New Vice Presidents
Dan Chacón and Harry Shade

Dan Chacón – Vice President of Student Support

Dan Chacón has been named the Cuesta College Vice President of Student Support, He replaces Gil Stork, who retired this year after a nearly 40-year career at Cuesta.

“Dan Chacón brings an enormous depth and breadth of experience to Cuesta College, with a career that spans five states and several community colleges,” said Superintendent/President Marie E. Rosenwasser. “His talents will drive our Student Support Services to an even higher level of assistance for student success. Chacón’s involvement with the National Hispanic Council of Community Colleges, as a Fellow in its leadership program, reinforces his personal commitment to diversity.” Chacón is bilingual and the first in his family to attend and graduate from college.

According to Chacón, an excellent college values the people who work there, understands the community in which it operates and embraces its students as valuable members of that community. “In addition, as a student development professional, I believe that students are the most important people in our business. They are the people who use our services, pay our salaries and go to the polls and vote. They are not an interruption in our work – they are the purpose of it.”

Chacón has served most recently as the Dean of Student Development and Educational Services at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas. This came after his service as the Dean of Student Development at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona; the Vice President of Student Services at Spokane Community College in Spokane, Washington; and the Dean of Student Services at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico.

Chacón earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial education from Arizona State College in 1965, and his master’s degree in vocational administration from Northern Arizona University in 1969. His doctorate in higher education administration/leadership is in progress from Washington State University.

Chacón’s selection followed a nation-wide recruitment effort, which started in June. He assumed responsibility of his new position on January 1.

Harry Schade – Vice President of Student Learning

Passionate, visionary, collaborative and respected – a few of many words which describe the new but not unfamiliar individual who has taken the helm of Cuesta College’s instructional programs. Harry Schade has been named the Cuesta College Vice President of Student Learning. He replaces Susan Dressler, who is retiring at the end of this year.

Schade has served as Cuesta’s Dean of Instruction, Humanities since 2001. “Harry has been an outstanding dean and faculty member. He has incredible strengths in developing collaborative relationships, working with faculty to develop new degrees and has proven instrumental in reaching out to more English as a Second Language (ESL) students,” said Superintendent/President Marie E. Rosenwasser. “He has taken ESL to new levels in terms of accessibility and program development. Harry is well-respected at Cuesta, and I’m delighted he has accepted this challenging position.”

Schade’s commitment to students is influenced by his personal experience and struggles as a first-generation college student. “It’s not enough to have students come to your classroom – there has to be a level of support, and a chance for that student to connect to the faculty, staff and institution,” said Schade. “I have and will continue to be a strong advocate for Student Learning Outcomes, which among other things has driven the creation of new Associate Degrees at Cuesta. An opportunity to earn a degree encourages students to identify with a discipline and receive recognition – not drop out of school. My commitments to improving student retention and promoting diversity will continue in the new position.”

Prior to serving as dean, Schade was a full time Sociology Instructor at Cuesta between 1996 and 2001, serving as the Social Science Division Chair between 1999 and 2001. In addition, Schade previously taught sociology at Allan Hancock College, was an adjunct instructor at Wayne State University in Detroit and was the Director of Admissions at the Detroit Institute of Technology. Private industry experience includes being the President/Owner of Cat’s Eye Corporation, a small publishing firm, a manager of Tower Bus Inc., and the owner/operator of Schade Farms, all located in the area of Mt. Clemens, Michigan.

Schade earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the Detroit Institute of Technology in 1971. His doctorate in sociology is in progress from Wayne State University.

Schade’s selection also followed a nation-wide recruitment effort, which started in June. He started his new position on January 1.