City of Buena Park

Carol McCann spent her early years on her paternal grandparents’ cattle ranch in Arizona. While there, she learned how to milk cows, slop hogs, and retrieve chicken eggs, but more significantly she was inspired by her grandparents’ focus on God, family, and caring for their community, such as donating milk and eggs to families on the nearby Native Lands. As a result, she has lived a life of service to others, both in her professional endeavors and in her community.

She is a proud Cypress College alum, having earned her associate’s degree in Registered Nursing at the college in 1981. She met her husband, Jim, while they were both enrolled at the college. They were fortunate enough to take biology classes from now-retired faculty member Robert Vandergrift, who took a special interest in the young couple. He rented a condo to them; and in 1980, when they were ready to buy a house, he wrote a letter of recommendation that helped them buy the Buena Park home in which they raised their sons and where they still live.

Carol quickly put her skills to use, becoming a critical care nurse at the St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton. During the 20 years she worked there she gradually moved into management positions, utilizing the knowledge she gained from earning a bachelor’s degree in business/ organizational development.

After St. Jude’s she worked for Tenet Healthcare, Hirsch & Associates, and MemorialCare at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and San Clemente, each time increasing her range of responsibilities. While continuing to work full-time and raise her family, in 2001 she pursued her master’s degree in business administration at the University of Redlands. In spite of her significant professional responsibilities, she never forgot her grandparents’ emphasis on helping others. With two young sons and a family love of sports, it was natural for Carol and Jim to become very active in youth sports activities. They were team parents and baseball coaches, in addition to Carol serving as president of the Buena Park American Little League while Jim was chief umpire.

Along with work and volunteer activities with her sons, Carol has been an active member of her church. For several years she served as the 1st Christian Church of Huntington Beach Resource Center volunteer administrator, overseeing daily operations providing food, financial, and local resource referrals to those in need.

In 2015, when Carol retired, her volunteer work expanded exponentially. She has served on the Buena Park Police Chief Community Advisory Board and the Buena Park Homeless Committee. Her interest in the homeless led her to actively contribute to the Buena Park’s Bright Paths program, participating in weekly street outreach activities to connect those in need with services available in the community. Carol also regularly volunteers for the Orange County Point-in-Time homeless census count, and from 2020 to the present she has chaired the Homeless Navigation Center Oversight Commission.

Currently she is heavily involved with the Buena Park Collaborative (BPC), a nonprofit described as “an energetic group of individuals, businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations who are working collectively to make Buena Park a safer and healthier place.” The group started with a focus on Pre-K through grade 12 education, emphasizing college and career. Over time, BPC has worked collaboratively with the city on housing, safe streets, health (becoming a “Fit City”), and an increase in the number of parks, the goal being a park within a 10-minute walk of all residents. Carol served as BPC Executive Director from 2017-2019 and has been on the Steering Council from 2017 to the present. She was also the Collaborative’s Community Resource Center administrator from 2019-2022.

Not surprisingly, Carol has been recognized as an outstanding volunteer and leader. She was named a California State Senate Woman of Achievement for the 32nd District and a California Domestic Violence Advocate, as well as having received a Kindness Award from the Orange County Supervisorial District 4.

Carol’s entire family focuses on compassion for others. This is exemplified by being actively involved in their church family, plus she, Jim and their sons’ families serve others through education, youth coaching, mentoring, volunteering, rescuing animals, and fostering children. As to the future, Carol looks to the past and what she learned from her grandparents. She plans “to continue to learn and apply that knowledge to better serve God, my family, and the community.”