Greg Peterson
He grew up at the end of the Oregon Trail with three brothers and a sister. By twelve, he was picking berries at a nearby farm. After working with adult immigrants at a furniture factory, he found a passion for adult education and has served at five community colleges, including four Hispanic Institutions. Since 2018, he has served as the president of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. He is the dog-loving, body-building, converse-wearing leader we love. Welcome, Dr. Greg Peterson.
Episode Transcription
Guiding Growth. Conversations with Community Leaders. In this podcast we'll explore the human journey of leaders, their stories of humility, Triumph, roadblocks and lessons learned. Come join us as we journey together and uncover the questions you've always wanted to know? Here we go. It's a new day. What do we got today? I am very excited for this guest. He grew up at the end of the Oregon trail with three brothers and a sister By 12. He was picking Berries at a nearby farm. After working with adult immigrants at a furniture factory.
He found a passion for adult education and has served at five community colleges including four Hispanic institutions since 2018, he has served as the president of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. He is the dog-loving bodybuilding Converse wearing leader. We love welcome dr Peterson, welcome to the show. We're so glad you're here. We're excited to have you and we can't wait to dig into all your secrets and that's how it goes. You know, they're not going to scare you away, you know what we're going to do? We're going to start with rapid fire, rapid fire.
Here we go. Alright. First song were first question here, what song do you sing on karaoke night bohemian rhapsody. How does that one go queen. I'm just a boy. I love that. Okay, great favorite superhero Spiderman Dine in or delivery dine in a day with your best friend or a party with everyone, you know, day was the best friend. What's your hobby of choice in the gym a phone call or a text message? Text message other than her voice. What's the most annoying sound in the world?
Mm hmm hmm. Think of something other than my voice. I stumped him with that one. My alarm in the morning. Yes. Safari or cruise Safari one day with any person living or not. Who would it be? I heard this one. So jesus would be there. Hey, that's a good answer. I like that one last question. Glass half full or half empty. So if you mean F. 00. L. It is at least half full. Probably more awesome. Thank you. Gilbert. City lifestyles is a locally owned publication whose mission is to find and share great stories in our community and help build a stronger, more vibrant local experience, become a digital subscriber at city lifestyles dot com forward slash gilbert.
Alright, so now let's talk about you, Give us a little history about the beginnings of your world and kind of where it all started once upon a time. No, I um so I grew up in the pacific northwest and outside of Portland. Um the my parents, so my dad's police officer retired. Um and then my mom worked, stay at home mom. And then she did odd ends to make ends meet. So she did a little bit of everything. And you know, I say the two of them really taught us about work.
Um and um and really to be an independent. Um and um and still the love for learning. So I remember that I didn't get a driver's license until I was 18 because I have a twin brother. And so I just relied on him, but what it meant was I got to read everywhere so I didn't know where anything was, I couldn't drive anywhere because I would get in the car and just open my book and read. Um So you didn't hit those landmarks that people have to memorize what you're saying right right, Like like well you passed this and I'm like oh did we pass that road?
So when you say you had your twin brother and he did we just you just like use his license and go drive kind of thing and you just don't bother. So you know my my brother got his license and then he got paid $300 for a car, right? That's a good one. And and so and then he drove us, so. Okay okay I'm following you, I'm with you now, okay and I hear you proclaim your the best uncle, Oh I'm the best uncle. Okay what qualifies you as best uncle?
So so my I've got here in town, I've got two nieces, two nephews but the younger of them were really into harry potter and so um we threw a whole harry potter party at my house where they did each of the classes, the best one was they did divination. Um And so I had a bunch of relatives um sending pictures of how they died and then the kids had to guess that divine how people would die. It was, it was awesome. It was just that is amazing.
Okay, so you can win that one, your best uncle got it, you served a mission in Germany. How long ago was that? How old are? So 2020 something years ago. Let me let me help that out a little bit. So tell us about that mission in Germany and what it meant to you, you know? Um so one of things we were talking about were those defining moments in your life and one of them for me was going on a church mission. It was uh leaving, I never really left the farthest I've gotten um from Portland was Utah Until I was 19.
And so then all of a sudden I was in Europe and so this whole new world, a whole new language um just to see the world differently, to see how big it was. Um and then to spend two years really caring for others where it wasn't about me, it was really about how do we serve, how do we love um how do we share what we call you the most? Um and that really defined for me the purpose of my life, which really likes to get into education and really in that public service sector.
Yeah, but I have a suspicion that you always were about serving others even as a kid. Is that, is that true? Um I enjoyed it. Yeah, I would say, yeah, it was. Was your your your siblings that way? Was your twin that way, or were you sort of uh sticking out? I think our family was that way. Yeah. Is it a Portland thing? Portland's quirky and sometimes we can be nice, but sometimes, so education um there's always a lot of influences that that you've had, I'm sure along the journey think tell some of those experiences that maybe have influenced you into that industry that you're in now.
Yeah, so when I was um when I was in high school, I had an english teacher that really encouraged me and probably was more patient with me because, you know, I thought I could write and I would write a lot and she would read it all and really encourage me and um and so that I felt like I felt like I had value, I could do something in that space. Um I'm an english major, so then when I went on to um the university, so um transferred, so I got to BYU I took a couple of uh I was in the english program there and I had english class and I wrote a paper and the professor one day just told the whole class about how my paper was graduate-level and like things I had never, I had never even thought about being qualified to be and graduate school, right, I'm just an undergrad, first generation college student.
And you know those moments where it's the ralphie moment, Christmas story, remember when he was like dreaming of that paper, You don't remember this? Do you have the ralphie moment? That's awesome. So the, and then the, you know, the biggest ones for me that, so I got into decided I wanted to teach. Um yeah, sheriff. So I worked in community colleges, like I said, this, this is, this is the wall of how we're improving things. So, so I graduated high school, I went to a local community college and I waited for an hour in line to meet with a counselor to advise her to figure out what I should do and have my transcript and I sat down with him and I said, okay, I want to be an elementary education teacher.
And he said, uh, no, you don't. And I'm like, okay, well then what should I do? And he said, oh, that's, That's a whole nother hour meeting, you're going to have to come back. And of course, being a typical 18 year old, I never came back, I just figured, well I can't be, he clearly said, I can't do elementary education, so um, I'll do higher, I'll do high school, right? So, um, so I started taking classes in that space. Um and then really um met, met individuals who just inspired me.
So that really that summer and in the um furniture factory and working with these amazing adults. These and and many of them had education different levels but they were just from different countries, they didn't speak language. Um And so they were stuck in this horrible job that furniture factory if you don't if you weren't inspired to go to college that was the place to be inspired. And so it really struck me this opportunity of what I've been blessed with and how I could help others. Um And then really the big one for me was so then I moved on to graduate school.
I um someone said I was like a doctor program someone said we should probably visit. I'm like oh you do that. So I reached out to a program I found online it happened to be the best in the nation but I didn't know I just found online like can I come visit? And they're like sure. So so I went down and they knew nothing about me. Um And I sat in class all morning and the director dr john rouge watching. I was watching me. I didn't know.
And after he invited me into his office and he was just gonna talk to me about the process and you know what I thought. And his first comment was what we've been watching you and we want to invite you to be in the program. We think that you would be a future leader. Um And I was just overwhelmed, overwhelmed and I said, are there any fun, any scholarship opportunities? He said yes studies scholarship opportunities will take care of you, You know what to say so that I just overwhelmed.
And so he felt so bad for me. He said, he said so, um, so I like your shoes, where'd you get them? And my response was, I don't know, they're my brother's, I borrowed a making a name for yourself, but he um so doctors to that program the first day we showed up, he said you're going to be a college president and I said there's no way I'm going to be a college president. And you know, by the time I left two years later I had this idea in my mind that I could be a college president, you could do this.
Yeah, so going back to the furniture factory, what I find interesting and what tells me a lot about you is many people could have worked alongside those individuals who um maybe needed some additional assistance and let that feeling just be a fleeting thought. You approached it differently and it inspired you. Where does that come from? You know, I think it's the, how we all interact with the world and what drives our passions and those connections and and for me I was inspired by the stories. Um and I was inspired by I'm a bit of an idealist, um an optimist.
So um it was this the hope I saw in them, right? So I looked at the situation and this is horrible, but they were so hopeful and they were so happy and looking forward to new opportunities, and so I think, I think their optimism really inspired me to think about, well who can step in this space, who's going to be that hope, and maybe I could be a part of it. Do you find it challenging to remain an optimist in education? So, I definitely have developed some strong realism routes into my optimism.
Um but I think that um so I I fundamentally believe education is the core to hope, right, that we all can learn and grow um that there's always an opportunity to change and progress and and be better and do better. Um and I think our societies are built upon that if if if we give up that hope, then what do we have? So, so for me, um public education, especially community colleges were positioned to be open to everyone and we get to provide that opportunity that access wherever you are.
Um and so that that's huge. So um that gives me that rian and reinvigorates that hope when I have too long of a day of meetings. Yeah, so who do you turn to the, when you are in those dark moments and it's not so great and rosie like, do you have any inspirations or anybody that you lean in on that kind of stuff? You know, I think it's important to um you know, so as a, as a college president, there's a lot of things I can't talk to people about and just so by the time conversation happening with me, they have to stay with me.
And so partly it's important for me to have a really good connection with other presidents. So there's 10 colleges in our district and so that's a blessing that I'm I've got built in peers, so that's really important to really connect and lean in. I've got some really good friends. Um one of my best friends is up in Washington as a college president and you know, to be able just to kind of commiserate and work through things and then to have friends that are outside where I can just disconnect and remember that there's more to life than my office and I know that your escape in many ways is travel.
That that service in Germany sort of sparks something in you. What are some of the best places that you've been a couple of fun stories that So uh when um so when I was living in California, um my my ex boyfriend was just amazing that travel and he uh so he found this round trip tickets to Thailand for $330 and then so we're in Thailand and I got really sick one day I slept for 20 hours? Well, he had nothing to do. So he was just online um just checking around and he found plane tickets to New Zealand for 100 and 20 Round trip.
So like he wakes me up long enough to say hey you want to go to New Zealand and like uh 10 hours later I'm like did I say yes to something like yeah they're booked so um some really cool so we'll be able to really see a lot of cool things. I had the opportunity to speak to the senior class at Highland High School this week which 600 seniors was and I was a bit nervous. Um But one of the things I said to them is to take the opportunity to serve and take the opportunity to travel because I think that is a lot of self exploration in those activities.
I had a student when I was in California at a student who was um deferred action um ah sorry DACA child. Um So an individual who had come as a child but was undocumented and he um as as he was transferring to university um He received his um his citizenship and so he was all excited said I said the first thing you need to just get a passport and he's like why don't you want to travel? I said well just go to Canada just go across the border and so he went across the border and that just sparked him and then he was able to take his dad back to Mexico and then he was planning to travel more.
So I think it's that you don't know until you get that exposure, that spark, you gotta leave your front door sometimes. Huh? Get out there and see, you know, we jumped ahead of it, which is okay. But I want to go back a bit because I want to understand the inspirations that you had to get to the roles that you're in now, because we kind of went from your college. But then how did you get to where you are? Like, there's a journey there, right? Yeah. That um, so higher education is very diverse, right?
And you've got like the university, a sus use just so massive and they have so many different levels. And you know, the, you would have a dean, for example, that is probably five levels below dr Crow Community colleges are far flatter. Right? Where, so as a president, I'm interacting with faculty and students on a regular basis, right? It's we're just far flatter which allows for opportunities to move from, um, service positions, working with students into management positions and then up into the executive level. So I really spent a fair amount of time in student services.
So really looking about how do we improve access in, how do we improve retention? Those partnerships between the K twelve's um, and and college. So how do we increase that college going? Right, and make it easier and remove some of those barriers for students and then really looking at, how do we serve all of our communities? Right. So that all of our, all of our communities have the same level of access and ability to succeed. And so really thinking about that diversity and diversity in our programming.
So we want to make sure that we have strong transfer pathways for students moving on. We want to make sure we have strong uh, career technical programs for students who want to move right into the workforce. So it's really, um, so gaining the experience of working with students and then working with industry partners, um, and really better understanding how do we, how are we positioned in our, in our community? Um, so that lead through um, kind of the dean level position into the vice president level position as vice president for about 10 years in California.
I have two brothers have lived here forever and so, and I was, I was a very wise visitor. I would come between november and february. So someone tipped you off. So when this physician came over and here for the presidency, I actually, I came out in july the year before I knew it was coming. I came out in july therefore and I walked to campus, both campuses in a suit because I want to make sure I really understood what I was getting myself into and um, I didn't die.
So I figured I can do this. So we're okay. So the other thing I saw in your notes is your super gym rat, like that's your, that's your jam. Was this always a thing or is this recenter? Let's start with us. How many gym memberships do you have? No really answer honestly. 5, 5 gym memberships, but I have them for different reasons. So depending on where you are in the valley. Okay, well I am, so I do. Um, so I actually started to crossfit again. I was doing cross for a while and I took a break.
Um, and then I started crossfit, but then I do mobility gymnastic training, which I just left the last couple of years, which I love. So I do a little bit of that, which helps me not get too injured when I'm doing crossfit, that's a lot of flexibility and stretching my back hurts just talking about it, something wrong. And then, um, and then access to, um, and then I had, I was gonna do some high intensity training. So kind of the circuit training pieces. Um, and then you need a backup jim if you just need to get a workout in because everything else is scheduled.
So yeah, honestly, I, I respect that because I think as a leader, sometimes the first thing you give up is self care. So the fact that you make time for that is pretty impressive and time times five it's even more impressive, but I don't know, I get all the times five in there. Um but I think it's really important that self care piece. So I know that as soon as I get to work, I don't know when the day is going to end, so I front load my day with the gym, right?
Um and that just sets the tone for the day and then I've learned that if I've got a few long days back to back That I just need to like at 5:30, I just need to pop out and go to the gym, clear my head And then come back and continue working that I'm actually more productive that way totally. I get I get that 100%. So someone looking in at the lens of your world english, major writer going into academic like you are, what advice would you have for somebody who wants to go down that path that says, I want to be president someday like you and for college.
I've thought a lot about that, I think um first of all, and I think this is across all industries, but especially in education, you can lead from many different places in the organization. Um and I mean the title is nice sometimes sometimes the title is not all that nice, you know, sometimes I enjoy going into a room and not having people know who I am, so I can have an open conversation and then someone says, oh, by the way, right? But uh, taking those leadership opportunities, noticing, stepping forward, really seeing where there's a need and helping with that need.
And even if it's something small, we, especially in education, um, we're an industry of people, so we lead people, that's, that's our business, that's who we do. Um, in that space, you can't, you can't make any progress unless you care and know and value and and motivate and encourage and understand people. So yeah, well, you set a reputation for yourself as the People's President. I mean, you really are so humble and relatable and yet you lead with, um, such respect. And, and I'm curious because that is not the mold you've broken, you've broken the mold a little bit, How do you stay motivated to lead in that way?
Well, you know, I say the other piece, um, kind of reference, but um, so for me, I'm a member of the Church of jesus christ of Latter day Saints, and I'm also gay and that's not the, that's not necessarily the combination I would recommend. And so it has been challenging for me to really um, reconcile my identity who I am, how to, how to fully care for me and love me. That that took me a while. And so I, but I think that journey helps me see the humanity and others that the, that we're all, we're all growing, we're all learning, we all have those moments, those dark spaces that we're working through.
We all have those doubts um about being good enough and then we all have that glimmer of potential and strength and amazing nous, that's in us. Um, and so I think um those, those experiences ground me. Um I think it's really important for people to hear that message because I do think we put on others that it came easy and that they're, they're who they are because they are, who they are. And we don't give the context of the journeys that they've had and I appreciate the fact that you share that your answer is way better than I thought you were going to say.
I would have said that I would go to one of my five gyms. That's how Sarah but his is way better. We know you don't awesome. Well hey, we've enjoyed having you on our show today. This has been a great conversation. Any final questions. Any final thoughts? No, I'm just going to say, I adore you, I adore your leadership style. I adore the fact that you are so relatable and so humble and yet you are setting out to change the world and I have no doubt you're going to do it.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. I just am so humbled to be here. I am a little bummed because I was so ready for that rapid fire question of what's the best part of Gilbert? And I was going to say the chamber, Oh well there goes her head, another crash. This has been awesome! Thank you for joining us and those that have been listening. You know this is a great show. So you should just automatically subscribe this show, join our tribe and listen to more.
Thanks for being here. Everybody guiding growth conversations with community leaders. Cigna is proud to sponsor the guiding growth podcast series. Cigna believes when individuals and communities thrive, businesses will too.
