Critical need for affordable student housing; major economic development; centralized Career and Technical Education Center and improved cooperative relationship between East Valley and College; overarching theme was “it’s finally time to invest in the Verde Valley: Take some chances.”

The Community College held a Verde Valley public forum on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale August 17, 2018.  The forum was led by College Vice President of Community Relations Rodney Jenkins and Dennis Garvey, Lifelong Learning/Community Education Director for Prescott Campus. There were about two dozen interested citizen observers from throughout the Verde Valley and fourteen guests invited by the College who were the only ones who could participate in the forum. The guests included the superintendents, mayors and others from throughout the Valley.

The following is a list of items discussed by the guests during the forum and the Blog’s view of how they were received.

1. Education is the College’s highest priority, which is intimately linked to the critical need for Economic Development. No disagreement.

2. There is a critical need for student housing in the Verde Valley. No disagreement.

3. There is a critical need for a centralized Career and Technical Education Center in the Verde Valley. All superintendents agree on this issue.

4. There is a need for the College and the communities and school districts to partner together more effectively. Everyone agreed on this issue.

5. There is an overarching need to seriously develop or “redevelop” community college education in the Verde Valley. All appeared to agree.

6. There is strong opposition in some quarters to the College’s continued used of the Governing Board  Carver model of policy governance. No disagreement.

7. There is a need to develop internships in the Verde Valley. No disagreement.

8. There is concern that the College has been foot-dragging on CTE development, with it making what are perceived as excuse after excuse not to move forward on CTE development. No disagreement.

9. The College was applauded for its recent efforts at economic development training at Camp Verde. No disagreement.

10. There is concern with the decreasing number of students in the schools in the Verde Valley. No disagreement.

11. The Yavapai-Apache Nation stands ready to invest in the Community College if it will work with the nation and offer courses needed by its students. Out of frustration with the College it has turned to NAU for assistance. No disagreement.

12. Having heard the voices of the Valley at this forum, the College should return with a plan to meet the issues raised and submit it to the invited group for further discussion. No disagreement.

Report details significant progress being made in the Verde Valley

Outgoing Verde Valley Forum President Dick Dahl gave his year end report at the Annual Membership meeting of the nonprofit organization on May 13th. Portions of Mr. Dahl’s report are reproduced here verbatim. They should be of interest to everyone concerned with post-education in the Verde Valley. Any emphasis by highlighting portions of the report was placed there by the editors of the blog.

Mr. Dick Dahl

Mr. Dahl wrote: “Last year’s collaboration with Arizona Town Hall resulted in a very successful Verde Valley Forum. Excellent progress is being made in implementing the five priority recommendations that resulted from last year’s Forum titled, “The Role of Post-Secondary Education in the Future of the Verde Valley Region.” These five recommendations resulted in the formation of several new entities and organizations that are currently and actively pursuing their respective goals and objectives.

“A task force headed by Beaver Creek School District Superintendent Karin Ward, along with representatives from each of the incorporated and unincorporated areas in the Verde Valley region, convened four focus group meetings throughout our region.  As a result of this effort, the Yavapai College District Governing Board, (YCDGB), authorized a survey of all seventeen public libraries in the region that could allow access to online learning.  The survey indicated a need for additional computers at these locations, and the YCDGB has included this expense item in their budget for next year.

“Additional studies are also underway to improve access to transportation systems so more people can physically access the Yavapai College Clarkdale Campus.  It is clear that the work of this task force has been instrumental in motivating the college to proactively address accessibility issues.

“Progress is also being made on improving the cultural awareness and direction of post-secondary education in the region.  Erin Mabery, Buena Vista Children’s Services, is leading this objective.  Buena Vista has, for several years, conducted a multi-day seminar that focuses on early childhood education.  This year’s seminar was the kick-off for their work to implement the 2016 Forum recommendations. There is an obvious connection to the 2017 Forum on preK-12 education, and I have every reason to believe it will carry over to this year’s discussion topics.

“The Verde Valley Educational Consortium headed by Barbara U’Ren, retired Superintendent of Cottonwood Oak Creek School District, with the able assistance of Consortium organizing committee member Eric Marcus was formally established as an Arizona non-profit corporation and a federal tax exempt 501(c) 3 entity. 

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Verde Valley Forum for Public Affairs coming next April with Morrison Institute assistance

The Verde Valley Forum for Public Affairs, (VVFPA), a non-partisan, non-political and not-for-profit organization, has decided to conduct a forum next April designed to evaluate and improve post-secondary educational opportunities in the Verde Valley and Sedona. The purpose of the VVFPA is to bring people and ideas together . It is modeled closely after the Arizona Town Hall. Mr. Dick Dahl from Sedona is the president of the Committee.

The Forum will be held at the Cliff Castle Conference Center, beginning Sunday evening, April 3, 2016, with the kickoff dinner and keynote speaker. Panel discussions will convene mornings and afternoons of April 4 and 5, with the final plenary session in the morning on April 6.

The research committee for the 2016 Forum, headed by Marshall Whitmire of Camp Verde, will work with the Morrison Institute of Arizona State University to produce the background document which prepares the participants for the panel discussions.

Approximately 100 residents of the Verde Valley and Sedona will be invited to participate in the forum. They will be carefully chosen to represent an accurate demographic cross-section of the area from the standpoints of age, gender, career status, occupation and locale.

For more information write VVFPA at PO Box 3965, Sedona, AZ 86340. A new website is being built, and more information on the Forum will follow soon.