Manis, who draws comparisons between managing facilities as a Lieutenant Colonel in
the U.S. Marine Corps and those of the SDCCD, one of the largest of California’s 73
community college districts, retired earlier this month after eight years with the
District.
“You manage facilities designed to serve a purpose,” Manis said, “be it a military base or a college campus, the criteria are the same. Your decisions are driven by what’s important for the people you serve.”
“Ultimately, you want to provide the best facilities possible so people can do what they need to do effectively, efficiently, and with purpose,” said Manis of his life-long career in physical plant operations and as a public servant.
In his more than 30 years with the Marine Corps, 28 as an active officer, and four years as a civil servant, Manis brought extensive qualifications as an expert logistician to the SDCCD when he joined then-Chancellor Constance M. Carroll’s cabinet as vice chancellor of Facilities Management in February 2014.
As vice chancellor, Manis was responsible for managing the District’s College Police, Facilities Services, and Facilities Management units. He oversaw the District’s $1.6 billion Propositions S and N construction bond programs, which has provided for the construction of new instructional and career training facilities and extensive modernizations, public safety and accessibility enhancements, parking and infrastructure projects at San Diego City, Mesa, Miramar, and Continuing Education colleges. Under his tenure, the District received clean, independent audits and earned top bond ratings from both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. The bond programs also generated more than 10,000 prevailing wage jobs.
“His legacy will live on in our beautiful campuses.”
Dr. Pamela Luster, President of San Diego Mesa College.
Before joining the District, Manis served as deputy director of Installation and Logistics at MCAS Miramar. His tours of duty took him across the globe, from Okinawa, Japan, to Kuwait, Egypt, Saudia Arabia, and other overseas installations. Stateside, he spent time at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and in Moscow, Idaho. He also served as the Marine ROTC instructor at the University of Idaho, teaching history and military leadership.
He credits these experiences with providing a fortuitous merging of his passion for public service and educational leadership for his post-military career. They also instilled in him a desire to lead with integrity and lift and motivate those around him.
“My Marine Corps career has had a lot of people who’ve been great mentors to me,” Manis said, “and I’ve always tried to pay that forward.”
Manis recalls serving under General James Mattis, a four-star general, as part of the U.S. Joint Forces Command. Mattis was a “boots on the ground” leader who regularly visited all Marines in security positions.
“He taught me that you can’t understand your organization if you sit in your office,” Manis said. “You have to get out, walk the sites, check on your teams, and find out what is happening at the ground level.”
General Mattis’ mentorship is reflected in how Manis viewed his relationships with employees within the Facilities Management division, where he made sure they were allowed to continue to bloom and accept positions of additional responsibility.
“I had commanding officers who wouldn’t let good people grow,” noted Manis. “Give good people opportunities; otherwise, you risk losing that capacity when you could be making for a better, more cohesive organization.”
Visiting campus and project teams had been a mainstay practice of Manis’ time at SDCCD, helping to deepen his connections with campus leadership. Eschewing perhaps faster responses by email, Manis preferred to come down the hall or visit a campus directly to meet with colleagues in person.
“Chris was a true servant leader in the District,” said Pamela Luster, president of Mesa College. “He managed by getting to know our campuses and always worked hard to create solutions that benefited our students.”
She added: “His legacy will live on in our beautiful campuses.”
He also leaves behind a legacy of philanthropy, having given generously given his time and other resources to the San Diego Promise, the San Diego Mesa College Foundation, and other initiatives.
For Chancellor Carlos O. Turner Cortez, one of Manis’ lasting impacts is his “commitment to sustainability practices and their global impact felt throughout the District.”
As stated in Board Policy BP 6980, which Manis helped author, “A core tenet of sustainability requires that the present generation meet its needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs,” Cortez added, pointing out that Manis’ leadership did so in many ways.
Under Manis’ guidance, the District vastly expanded its renewable energy portfolio. The number of photovoltaic installations across the District are at the maximum allowed by current state utility policies. A solar thermal heating system at Miramar College will generate an estimated $1.9 million in savings over 30 years; and a thermal energy storage tank will pay for itself at the end of this year, providing an estimated $13 million in savings over 30 years. Manis recently pursued advanced energy storage systems for multiple campuses, allowing the District to offset peak demand with stored heat and electricity.
The direction with sustainability to be more energy efficient is something in which Manis takes pride. “Being able to integrate existing solar with fuel cells and thermal energy and put us on track for the future is something I can look back on and see that it’s made a difference in the District becoming more energy-efficient, more independent, and more modern,” he said.
He also is proud of closing the bond programs fully and successfully. “We completed projects as committed to the voters and with a surplus,” he said.
Retirement for Manis doesn’t mean slowing down. He is looking forward to spending more time with his wife of 37 years, Cordelia, whom he met while pursuing his double degree in history and political science at the University of Idaho in Coeur d’Alene, where they have a second home. He also is happy about seeing more of his four adult children — all accomplished in their own right with successful careers as a doctor, lawyer, animation production coordinator, and interior designer. There are also three grandchildren eager to have more “grandpa time.”
His parting advice?
“Figure out your niche and succeed at it,” said Manis. “I had a boss tell me once, ‘Chris, you are the best fire putter-outer I know. I can put you anywhere, and you take a bad situation and make it good again.’ ”
His ultimate career goal has been met. “I always believe you leave an organization in better shape than when you began,” he said. “And I’ve been fortunate to do that throughout my career.”
Related: See the photo gallery of Chris Manis' retirement party[BROKEN LINK]