Dr. Sarah H. Pappas
President, Manatee Community College
Since 1997
Where are you from? I was born in Puerto Rico and lived in Cuba and Mexico before coming with my family to the U.S. when I was 13. I went to high school in New Jersey, then on to Penn State University.
What job would we be surprised to learn you’ve had in the past? I was a hotel maid at a dude ranch in Wyoming when I was 20.
What do you spend too much time doing? Worrying about state funding for MCC. Each year it’s a challenge.
Too little time? Reading novels and biographies.
What do you love about Sarasota and Manatee counties? The friendship of the people, the beauty of the beaches and state parks and the fact that I have been honored and privileged to lead a college as fine as MCC for more than 10 years.
If you could have dinner with a historical figure, whom would it be and why? Winston Churchill -- because I have studied his life and accomplishments for more than 20 years.
Whom do you most admire in business? There are three women in our community whom I admire for what they have accomplished in their professional areas: Diane McFarlin, publisher of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Gwen MacKenzie, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Hospital; and Michael Saunders of Michael Saunders & Company. Each has a unique management style that has transformed their particular business. They have managed to increase their bottom line and customer satisfaction while at the same time paying attention to the most valuable resource -- their employees.
How would you sum up your management philosophy? I believe in openness, communicating often, and being inclusive, and I love working in teams.
What was your biggest missed opportunity? Throughout my career there were two or three jobs that I applied for and didn’t get, leaving me deeply disappointed at the time, but then eventually I obtained another position that gave me much enjoyment and meaning.
What do you want us to know about MCC?
1) We are the oldest and first public college in this area with more than 50 years of serving Manatee and Sarasota counties.
2) We also are the area’s largest institution of higher education with more than 9,900 degree-seeking students and 30,000 more that we serve by providing workforce training and life-long education opportunities.
3) We have been judged by outside groups to have:
a) excellent customer service and student satisfaction levels
b) a reputation of academic excellence
c) a high level of community responsiveness
d) excellent faculty and staff
What role does MCC play in workforce development? MCC plays a major role in the workforce development of Manatee and Sarasota counties. Our job as a community college is to convene business and industry clusters, and chambers of commerce and EDCs, gather input on and provide the kind of training and degree programs the area needs, and produce skilled graduates prepared to staff our local businesses.
