In a terse statement, College offers no other explanation regarding the sudden departure of the outstanding and well-liked administrator from the Verde Valley

Editor Robert Oliphant

OPINION. The Blog has learned today that Dr. Tina Redd resigned her position as Verde Campus/Sedona Center Dean earlier this week. Dr. Redd was considered by most in the Verde Valley as a real gem.

The news reached the Blog via a somewhat informal explanation regarding her departure that came from Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine who provided the following terse statement to the Sedona Red Rock newspaper:

“Dr. Redd has decided to move on and has submitted her resignation. We thank her for her service to the College and wish her well as she moves on to her next opportunity.

“She was not terminated; she resigned her position by her own choice. It’s really that simple.”

Serious questions, it seems to me, must be asked regarding what circumstances might have triggered Dr. Redd’s sudden and unexpected resignation. She was just too good to lose. The Blog suggests that some of the following may provide a modicum of insight into why such a talented person might suddenly pick up and leave the Dean’s position here in the Verde Valley.

From the outset, it appears that working conditions for Dr. Redd, or any person in her role, were less than ideal. For example, she was placed essentially under two bosses: First, Vice President and Prescott based Diane Ryan, was the boss to whom she directly reported. She did not report directly to the President of the College. This kind of reporting structure, although subtle, would on its own ensure a reduction in the prestige and independence of a Dean charged with running the Verde Campus and Sedona Center. Moreover, it is hard to believe it could not affect that person’s morale.

Second, the President of the College plays a significant role in the reporting structure of a Verde Dean. The President is by far the most powerful and most important boss in the organization. The President is someone a Verde Dean will most likely try to please, almost at any cost. Yet, the present reporting structure erects a barrier between the Verde Dean and the president. The Verde Dean’s voice is filtered by a supervisor, possibly at times muffled. Under the present reporting structure, a Verde Dean is viewed much more as a middle manager of a department store, not someone with a serious voice in Community College affairs who possesses any independent decision-making or has the kind of respect within the organization that allows that person to report directly to the President.  

In the case of Dr. Redd, it appears to most in the Verde Valley that she was kept on a tight tether by Prescott when it came to meeting and mixing with local community leaders. For example, in the fall 2021 President Dr. Lisa Rhine and Vice President Rodney Jenkins appeared and spoke at various city and town council meetings throughout the Verde Valley. The purpose of those visits was to update the elected officials on what is happening on the Verde Valley Campus and at the Sedona Center. They also were sometimes challenged with tough questions and asked about details of programs at those facilities. Astonishingly, Dr. Redd was not a part of that tour. One cannot help but wonder whether this kind of treatment at the hands of Prescott subtly reduced the prestige of the Dean’s position in the Valley and affected the morale of even the most hardened administrator.

Then there’s how the Prescott bosses handled assignments to the most influential committees at the College. For example, Dr. Redd was omitted from inclusion in the exceedingly important Capital Master Plan Steering Committee, which is working on an eight to ten-year development plan. It is a committee one would anticipate the Dean of the Verde Valley campus would automatically have been a part of, if not one of its leaders. However, the sixteen person Committee selected by the College Administration is totally dominated by Prescott based executives and employees with only two of the members from the Verde Valley. Conspicuously absent from the committee was the appointment of Dr. Redd. Might that affect morale? Does that reduce the prestige and influence of the office of Verde Dean?

Another group one would think the Dean of the Verde Campus/Sedona Center would automatically be a part of is Yavapai Community College’s President’s Executive Leadership Team. This team is viewed by many as the most important administrator decision-making group at the College. However, the Verde Dean is not included. One needs to continue asking the question: Does the absence of the Valley’s Dean automatically reduce the prestige of the Dean’s position on the Verde Campus and Sedona Center? Might it affect a career-administrator’s morale?

A factor that may have affected the prestige of the Dean’s position and morale in this particular case was an odd assignment handed to Dr. Redd by the Prescott administrators at the very beginning of her tenure. This assignment involved giving her the responsibility of apparently overseeing and evaluating a large number of faculty who worked on the west side of the County in Prescott. Reliable sources indicate that this work took her away from her duties as Dean on the Verde/Sedona campuses for at least one full day every week. Can there be any doubt that it interfered with her challenging work as Verde Valley Dean?

Adding to the oddity of the Prescott faculty assessment assignment is the fact that one of the conditions laid down by residents and accepted by President Lisa Rhine before a Dean was hired for the Verde Campus/Sedona Center was to ensure that the new Dean actually lived in the Verde Valley. So, after selecting Dr. Redd, she was given a task that caused her to spend a day away a week in Prescott. This most likely involved travel and could not help but interfere with the daily duties associated with running the Verde Campus and Sedona Center. It’s an odd assignment, to say the least, for a Dean already working extremely hard to develop the Verde Campus and Sedona Center, which alone is a major challenge.

So, it can be argued that from the very outset of her employment, Dr. Redd, or any Dean in her position, experiences diminishing prestige for the Dean’s office and minimal input into the future of the Verde Valley facilities. Decisions such as non-appointment to various important committees and being treated more like a middle manager than an influential member of the Community College must hurt. At times limiting the Dean’s visibility and contact with local politicos must also be hurtful. And add to that, in the particular case of Dr. Redd, an odd working assignment that sends the Dean out of the Verde Valley on a weekly basis only adds to the ache an administrator working in the Valley might experience.

Is it any wonder that someone possessing the background and experience of Dr. Tina Redd might one day just throw up their hands and say in frustration, “I resign.”  

MORE TO COME.

Hired with great expectations and superb background but kept tightly tethered by Yavapai Community College Prescott administrators | Reasons for her sudden departure remain unclear 

Dr. Tina Redd

The Verde Valley/Sedona residents have suffered a huge loss with Dr. Tina Redd’s  sudden and unexpected departure as Verde Campus/Sedona Center Dean.  According to officials and faculty who have talked with the Blog, her last day of work at the Verde Campus was Sunday.

The College has yet to make an official announcement about Dr. Redd’s departure. A visit to the Community College in Clarkdale confirmed she was no longer working for the College.  They also confirmed her departure had nothing to do with a sudden illness.

Dr. Redd began her position in for Yavapai Community College at the Verde Campus in March 2020.   Her role  was to plan, direct, evaluate, and oversee administration of academic affairs for the Verde Valley Campus and Sedona Center. She was also expected to serve on district committees relating to academics, instruction, curriculum, and faculty affairs.

Dr. Redd came to Yavapai Community College from Central Oregon Community College where she served as the first Director of the Redmond Campus. Prior to becoming a branch campus director, Dr. Redd taught humanities, women’s studies, and literature at Central Oregon and Portland Community College for twelve years.  She also taught for several years at two major universities.

In August 2020 Dr. Redd was selected as the first National Asian Pacific Islander Council (NAPIC)  Fellow. The NAPIC Fellowship included a stipend that allowed Dr. Redd to participate in national meetings and seminars relevant  to her professional development. Yavapai College also supported  Dr. Redd’s Fellowship  by providing internal professional support and additional funds so she can take advantage of leadership development opportunities.

When notified of the award, Dr. Redd said that she was “ very proud to be the first NAPIC Fellow. Diversity in community college leadership is essential in building bridges to all the communities we serve. My heritage, combined with being a first-generation college graduate, grounds my understanding of the struggles students face. I am honored to be offered mentorship in removing barriers to success and creating a welcoming environment for everyone at YC.”

Students, administrators, Governing Board members and others made up delegation

Yavapai Community College identified seven persons it sent to the Washington, D.C. to attend the Association of Community College Trustees National Legislative Summit in early February 2022.  They included:  Community College Student Government Association officers President Brian Moultrup, Vice President Andrew Tucker and Treasurer Hannah Lowe. The students were  accompanied by Community College  President Dr. Lisa Rhine, Vice President of Community Relations and Student Development Rodney Jenkins, District Governing Board Chair Deb McCasland, and District Governing Board member Chris Kuknyo. In a Community College press release dated February 22, 2021 the College indicated there were “others” who attended but did not elaborate on who they might have been.

The delegation met with education officials in the Biden administration along with Senator Mark Kelly and Congressman Representative Tom O’Halleran. According to Mr. Kuknyo, who spoke about the trip at the Governing Board meeting, they also visited the office of Representative Paul Gosar.

During discussions with officials in Washington, the College representatives urged the government to extend Pell grant eligibility to community college students in technology and workforce training certificate programs. They also urged that Pell grants be increased to cover cost-of-living increases.

District Governing Board member Chris Kuknyo described the student government officers as  “absolutely fabulous” and thanked them for helping the College “make our points” with the Arizona Congressional delegation.

You may view the report by students and administrators to the District Governing Board on the trip to Washington, D.C. in the video clip below.

Sources:  Community College press release of February 25, 2022 by JJ MCCormack;  Governing Board  meeting of Tuesday, February 22, 2021.

At Chino Valley High School (760 E. Center St.) from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The Community College press release about this event follows below:

Yavapai College and the Regional Economic Development Center are partnering with other community organizations to sponsor the Chino Valley Job Fair at the Chino Valley High School (760 E. Center St.) on Friday, February. 18 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Attendees can learn the latest information about careers; apply for part-time, full-time, temporary, and seasonal jobs; and meet with representatives from business, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.

There are currently 60 businesses that will be providing information about themselves as employers, with more than 900 open positions available.

Veterans, individuals 55 and older, and job seekers with disabilities may take advantage of early admission at 10:30 a.m. Professional attire for all attendees is strongly recommended.

Need help preparing for the job fair? Resume review and interview tips are available at ARIZONA@WORK and Goodwill Career Center. Veterans who need assistance may call U.S. VETS at 928-200-5631.

The Chino Valley Job Fair is coordinated by the Yavapai College Regional Economic Development Center, Chino Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, ARIZONA@WORK, NACOG, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more information, contact Lorette at the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce at by calling 928-636-2493 or emailing director@chinovalley.org, or contact Katherine Anderson at the Regional Economic Development Center by calling 928-776-2008 or emailing katherine.anderson@yc.edu.

Source:  February 8, 2022 press release authored by Tom Diesch from Yavapai Community College.

Explains that while there is not equality between the two sides of the County, the needs and population are different

Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine conceded during the January 28 District Governing Board workshop at the Prescott Valley Center that there was not equality between the east and west  sides of the County, which is divided by Mingus Mountain.  However, she assured the District Governing Board  that the College is meeting the needs of the citizens on the east side. “They are just different,” she said.

She also explained that from her perspective “Equity is about giving people the things that they need. Not giving people the same thing on both sides of the mountain.”

You may view the short clip of Dr. Rhine making these statements during the Governing Board meeting below to assure accuracy of this Blog post.  You may view the entire Workshop video when it is finally posted on the Governing Board website, which will normally follow the February meeting of the Board and approval of the Workshop minutes.

Meeting at Sedona Council Chambers 102 Roadrunner Drive Sedona  to begin at 4:30 p.m.

Dean Tina Redd

Yavapai Community College Verde Valley Dean Dr. Tina Redd will address the Sedona City Council on Tuesday, January 25 at 4:30 p.m. She intends to update the Council on  activities and plans for the Verde Valley campuses and local programming.

The Sedona City Council chambers are located at 102 Roadrunner Drive Sedona, AZ 86336.  The meeting is also carried live webcast.  Please check the Sedona City website to view the live webcast.

Link to survey appears below 

Yavapai Community College is urging Yavapai County residents to take the Campus Master Plan Survey that is posted on the Community College website.  The survey will be used, it is thought, in preparing a capital development plan for the next ten years.

Following below is the notice sent by the Community College Friday, January 7 to some residents about taking the survey.  To take the survey, go to https://mapmy.smithgroup.com/Yavapai/.

You can reach the master plan website by going to https://masterplan.yc.edu/.

Offices and services were closed for winter break since December 18

Yavapai Community College offices and services will reopen Monday, January 3.  They were closed for the winter break from December 18.

Regular classes are scheduled to begin Tuesday, January 18.  The spring semester ends May 13. A full January schedule appears below.