Jim Marchant, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Community RelationsClaremont, Calif. (June 12,
2019) — Pitzer College appoints Jim Marchant as the College’s first vice
president for strategic initiatives and community relations. This position was
established to provide leadership as Pitzer implements its recently completed
institutional strategic plan and bolsters its commitment to the community.
An essential aspect of
Marchant’s role will be to strengthen relationships and collaboration between
Pitzer College and the local community. As long-time residents of the area, Marchant
and his wife Jessica are active members of the Claremont community. They have served
as volunteers and leaders for many organizations in town, including Rotary and
the Claremont Education Foundation. Having raised and educated their children here,
they value the importance of strong town-gown relations.
“I can think of no better
person to lead Pitzer’s strategic
plan implementation process and community relations efforts than Jim Marchant,”
says Pitzer College President Melvin L. Oliver. “Jim will bring focus to the achievement of our goals
by coordinating the efforts of key people, internal and external
constituencies, and resources that will lead to significant and concrete outcomes for the College. Jim brings his
decades of experience at Pitzer and his dedication to community betterment to
this important work.”
Marchant’s tenure at Pitzer College
spans nearly 25 years during which he has been instrumental in helping Pitzer
ascend into the top tier of national liberal arts colleges. He has held
numerous key positions at Pitzer during that time, including as its longest-serving
vice president for student
affairs (2001-2013), and most recently as the executive director of advancement
where he has built relationships and raised funds for numerous institutional
priorities, including financial aid, student life programs, and the renovation
and expansion of science facilities on campus.
“I am excited about this new opportunity as
Pitzer continues to innovate and thrive in a challenging environment for
private liberal arts colleges and higher education in general. I appreciate
President Oliver’s confidence in me and his recognition that my institutional
and local knowledge and relationships may be beneficial to both the College and
the wider community,” says Marchant. “I look forward to helping Pitzer achieve
our goals, and serving as a bridge with the Claremont community as we move
forward.”
Marchant holds a master’s
degree in education with a focus on higher education administration and
non-profit management from Claremont Graduate University and received a bachelor’s
degree in history from the University of Redlands.
