Retired College of Marin President David Wayne Kuhn on campus in Kentfield, Calif. on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. (Sheri Lavars/Marin Independent Journal)
When David Wayne Kuhn first came to the College of Marin as its 10th president in December 2010, it was not an auspicious start.
Both the Kentfield and Indian Valley campuses needed work, the faculty was discontented without a four-year contract, and the college had just been placed on probation by its accrediting agency.
A Marin weekly newspaper ran a photo of a bomb on its front page, under the headline “COM-bustion” — a reference to the prevailing mood of low morale and frustration.
“The air was thick with tension, and people didn’t seem to be having much fun,” Kuhn said at a City Council meeting in November. “It was kind of painful at first.”
Thirteen years later, as Cone prepares to hand over the presidential baton to his successor, Vice President Jonathan Eldridge, on January 2, most observers say the college’s rejuvenation at all levels has been extraordinary.
“David has overseen a remarkable transformation of College of Marin, including facilities, services and culture,” Eldridge said in an email this week. “His thoughtful, caring, patient, and inclusive leadership approach has served the college — and by extension the entire Marin community — incredibly well.”
Voter-approved bond construction totaling $515 million has brought new life and community engagement to both campuses.
This is especially true of the Indian Valley Campus in Novato. In 2010, the rural but very quiet site was called “DOA” — or dead on arrival — as Kuhn described it in an interview this week.
“I knew I had to diversify,” Cohn said, meaning that simply building more academic classrooms wouldn’t create any vitality or attract more students, or anyone else.
Instead, the college built world-class facilities: the Miwock Aquatics and Fitness Center with a competition-style diving tower used by both students, swim teams and the community, and the Bill and Adele Jonas Conference Center in partnership with the Rotary Club. Novato.
“It’s the most important event center in Marin,” Kuhn said of the Jonas Center.
The college also just partnered with the Marin County Fire Department to house 20 to 60 seasonal firefighters in the former “Building 17,” an old library on the Indian Valley site.
COM will also build a wildland firefighter training facility with offices, classrooms, equipment and four spaces to house fire trucks.
“The College of Marin is more inclusive and welcoming to all students thanks to David’s leadership,” said Wanden Trainor, a longtime college trustee. “And the College of Marin is even more intertwined in the greater Marin community because of the way he has approached his calling as a community college leader.”
In Kentfield, the campus has been similarly transformed. Buildings completed over the past decade include those for science, mathematics, nursing, performing arts, fine arts, and a children’s study center.
While the final Measure B bond project, the Learning Resource Center Library, Classroom and Conference Building, will not be completed until 2026, it faces the newer Academic Center at the corner of College Avenue and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
The Academic Center, completed in 2015 with voter-approved Measure C bond funds, serves as the gateway to the campus, and dozens of flags are often placed out front for the holidays. Measure C passed in 2006, while Measure B was approved by voters in 2016.
“We didn’t really have a front entrance before,” Kuhn said of the academic center.
On the labor relations front, Cone has hired 382 full-time employees since January 2011. This included 110 full-time faculty, 217 classified professionals, 49 managers, and 1,196 part-time and hourly employees.
He credits the new blood with being “on the front lines helping advance our mission of helping our students achieve their educational goals and dreams.”
In the spring, 400 students completed a certificate, degree, or transitional degree — one of the largest graduation groups in recent history.
Accreditation is no longer a problem. The college’s accreditation was recently renewed. In 2021, College of Marin was ranked the No. 1 community college in California and No. 5 out of 839 community colleges nationwide by Academic Influence, a college rankings organization.
“He’s just a great leader — smart, consistent, respected by everyone who works with him, and always focused on getting results,” Rep. Jared Huffman, a San Rafael Democrat who represents Marin, said of Cohn. “Our community owes him a huge thank you for the tremendous difference he has made at COM.”
In the greater Marin education community, Kuhn has made “tremendous progress in building relationships with teachers in our elementary and secondary school districts,” said John Carroll, Marin’s superintendent of schools and a COM alumnus.
“His leadership has opened doors for students who may not have seen higher education as a viable option,” Carroll said. “He worked across systems to create educational pathways that would lead students to rewarding careers.”
Omar Carrera, executive director of the Canal Alliance in San Rafael, said Cohn reached out to him early in his tenure, seeking “insights about the challenges and opportunities facing the Latino community in Marin,” Carrera said.
At the time, Kuhn expressed his commitment to, Carrera said, “identifying and addressing the barriers that have hindered Latinos and Latinas from accessing and succeeding at the College of Marin.”
That commitment was later reflected in College of Marin’s Student Equity Plan, which aims to increase college readiness and achieve Hispanic Service Institution status, Carrera said.
The College of Marin received the prestigious Dr. John W. Rice Diversity and Equity Award in September 2020.
Student enrollment, which faltered during the pandemic as it has everywhere, has since rebounded to higher levels than before the pandemic, Kuhn said. As of Dec. 11, the number of students applying for credit for spring 2024 was 2,964, compared to 2,644 at the same time last year.
The number of non-duplicate applicants, for credit and non-credit students, for spring 2024 is 3,989, compared to 3,086 at the same time last year.
Finally, there is the pending full recovery of the Bolinas Field Station, a marine biology laboratory and training facility located in Bolinas Lake in Western Marin.
When Kuhn arrived at the College of Marin in 2010, that facility, which had been closed since 2005 due to severe deterioration, was “dead on arrival,” Kuhn said he thought at the time.
After years of discussion and strong push from college faculty, Kuhn found a way to overcome the many barriers. Construction is now scheduled to begin within a few weeks, with completion scheduled for late 2024.
“Even though it’s been exciting at times, here we are,” Cohn said at a town hall in November.
“David Wayne Kuhn is a true leader, always friendly and kind,” said COM biology teacher Joe Mueller, a major supporter of the Bolinas Field Station project.
“It has been a pleasure to work with him even in difficult times because he is skilled at resolving conflicts with respect and humility,” Mueller said. “The revitalization of Bolinas Field Station is a testament to his determination and ability to succeed.”
Kuhn, 59, grew up in Washington state, where most of his immediate family still lives. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Washington University, a Master of Education degree from Western Washington University, and a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Organizational Development from Seattle University.
Before coming to COM in 2010, Kuhn was president of Evergreen Valley College in San Jose for five years. Prior to Evergreen Valley College, Conn held several administrative positions at various colleges in Washington State.
Kuhn, who said he started working when he was 13, plans to spend most of his retirement in Palm Springs, where he has owned a home for the past 16 years.
He said he will miss Marin.
“Everyone has been incredibly supportive,” Cohn said this week. “The relationship has deepened in the community,” he added. “I’ve always found that incredibly helpful in the work we do.”
Marin will be missed, too, his supporters said.
“David’s leadership is the reason we have the organization we have today,” said Stephanie O’Brien, a longtime trustee.
“His unique style and ability to reconcile a wide range of voters is something I will always admire,” O’Brien said. “It was a great honor to have him as Commander of the COM while I was a Trustee.”
The retirement of a true leader is always a significant event, especially when it comes to someone like the College of Marin President. With a career marked by dedication, commitment, and outstanding leadership, their departure is sure to leave a lasting impact on the institution and the community at large. As the Marin Independent Journal reports, the retiring president will be honored for their exceptional contributions to the college and the valuable legacy they leave behind. It is clear that their leadership has set a high standard for future leaders to follow, and their retirement will be a bittersweet moment for all who have had the privilege of working alongside them.