His tireless advocacy for major community college improvement in Sedona and the Verde Valley will be missed
Sedona and the Verde Valley lost an important, tireless strong voice for improving their community college educational opportunities when Paul Chevalier resigned his seat on the Community College District Governing Board effective Monday, January 30, 2023.
Paul Chevalier
Despite sometimes ruffling the feathers of the Prescott-based executive who control the Community College in Sedona and the Verde Valley, Chevalier’s voice rang out during Board meetings as an east side advocate. Always thoroughly prepared, he raised questions about unfair expenditures of East County taxpayer funds, the absence of East County programs, and the 50-year failure of any commitment to seriously consider significant Community College development outside the Prescott area.
Unlike a majority on the Governing Board, he was never a rubber stamp ready to approve whatever the Prescott based executives recommended to the Governing Board. He put the interests of students and the public in his district and the entire County ahead of silent acquiescence, even when he knew that the West side dominated board would mostly ignore him and rubber stamp whatever they were asked to approve.
In his resignation announcement Mr. Chevalier said:
For four years I have served on the Yavapai College Governing Board as the elected representative of Yavapai County District 3. During this time I have tried my best to support or, alternatively, to recommend the best solutions for whole county college issues and the educational needs of the public of my district.
Today I turned 84 and, while my health is good, this is the moment for me to step down and let someone younger take my position. I am therefore resigning my position with the Board effective today.
Mr. Chevalier was superbly qualified for the position he held on the Governing Board.
EDUCATION
HARVARD GRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL – CAMBRIDGE, MA
ADVANCED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM GRADUATE (AMP), 1979
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS – NEW YORK, NY
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA), 1966
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW – NEW YORK, NY
BACHELOR OF LAW (LL.B), 1966 COLUMBIA COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY – NEW YORK, NY
BACHELOR OF ARTS MAJOR IN GOVERNMENT (B.A.), 1960
CIVIC AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ALUMNI COUNCIL, 1986-1989
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
DIRECTOR, 1981-1989
PRESIDENT, 1984-1985
ARIZONA HUMANITIES COUNCIL 2003-2004
CITY OF SEDONA
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- ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION, CHAIR 2000-2004
- PERSONNEL BOARD 2001-2003
- YOUTH COMMISSION STUDY COMMITTEE 2003
SEDONA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 2008- 2013, CHAIR 2011-2013
YAVAPAI COLLEGE VERDE VALLEY BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CHAIR 2014-(Committee suspended by Board in late 2016)
SEDONA RED ROCK REVIEW NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST 2001 -2008
CIVIL INVOLVEMENT PRIOR TO MOVING TO SEDONA
LOS ANGELES CENTER FOR NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT. DIRECTOR, 1984-198
CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAW COUNCIL
DIRECTOR, 1984-1991
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, 1985-1990
PRESIDENT, 1989
NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION – EMPLOYEE RELATIONS COMMITTEE
MEMBER, 1972-1993
CHAIR 1979-1982
NATIONAL BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE – EMPLOYEE RELATIONS COMMITTEE
STAFF REPRESENTATIVE, 1985-1993
JONATHAN ART FOUNDATION, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
(CURRENTLY THE FOUNDATION HAS OVER 6 MILLION $ OF EARLY
CALIFORNIA PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS THAT IT LOANS TO MUSEUMS,
AND SHOWS FOR THE PUBLIC.)
FOUNDER, 1987
PRESIDENT, 1987-1990
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS, 1990-PRESENT
Military Experience
ACTIVE DUTY UNITED STATES NAVY, 1960-1963
SERVED AS A NAVY OFFICER (FINAL RANK LT.) ON THE USS KITTY HAWK (CVA-63) MY MAIN DUTIES: FLEET OFFICER OF THE DECK UNDERWAY AND SHIP’S LEGAL OFFICER.
Career Experience
CONSULTANT, 1994-1998
INVESTIGATIVE CONSULTING WITH REGARD TO DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT ISSUES.FOR DISNEY, DREAM WORKS, AND OTHER MULTI NATIONAL BUSINESSES AND NATIONAL LAW FIRMS
CARTER HAWLEY HALE STORES, INC. LOS ANGELES, CA, 1972-1993
(RENAMED BROADWAY STORES INC. AND TODAY MOSTLY PART OF MACY’S)
AT THE TIME CHH WAS A $4 BILLION IN SALES RETAIL CORPORATION WITH OVER 40,000 REGULAR EMPLOYEES IN ITS BROADWAY, EMPORIUM, CAPWELLS, CONTEMPO CASUALS, WEINSTOCK’S, NEIMAN MARCUS, BERGDORF GOODMAN AND WALDENBOOKS STORES LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND HOLT-FENFREW IN CANADA.
DUTIES; CORPORATE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT-EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
LITIGATED BEFORE THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD AND STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS INCLUDING THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
RESOLVING EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS OF DISCRIMINATION OR HARASSMENT.
DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICIES.
HANDLING ALL LABOR RELATIONS WITH UNIONS.
DEVELOPING AND MANAGING THE CORPORATIONS EMPLOYEE BENEFITS INCLUDING MEDICAL AND PENSIONS
MONTGOMERY WARD & CO. – CHICAGO ILLINOIS & OAKLAND, CA 1967-1972
AT THIS TIME MONTGOMERY WARD WAS A $2 BILLION IN SALES NATIONAL RETAILER WITH OVER 40,000 EMPLOYEES.
DIRECTOR, LABOR RELATIONS, WESTERN REGION – 8 STATES