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

1. 1. ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION, CHAIR 2000-2004 
   2. PERSONNEL BOARD 2001-2003 
   3. 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