Pima and Maricopa Community Colleges appear to be greatest beneficiaries; not Yavapai Community College

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has proposed some increased financial aid to Arizona Community Colleges in his budget for the coming fiscal year. He delivered  his proposals to  the Legislature January 14. Legislators will, of course, debate and tweak the budget requests. Unfortunately, the Blog is unable to discover any significant increase in financial aid coming from the State to Yavapai Community College.

Ducey said he wants to provide $20 million for an expanded aviation program at the 40,000 student Pima Community College. This will double the capacity of the Aviation Technology Center, which trains people for aerospace industry jobs. This would add funds for another 75 students.

He also wants the legislature to provide $5.8 million for Maricopa County Community College District to get more equipment to expand its health-care programs. This will allow it to train more students in medical programs for staffing operating rooms, emergency care, oncology and intensive care units.

Under Ducey’s budget, Universities would receive $21 million to expand their teachers academies, designed to address the teacher shortage by allow education students a free college education if they agreed to teach in Arizona. The academies started in 2017, but never received any funding. 

The universities would also get $30 million to put toward health insurance costs and $35 million in one-time operating and capital funds to help support Arizona resident students.

House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez, D-Yuma said in response to Ducey’s proposals that the state still needs to make up for years of cuts to district schools that have led to a teacher-retention crisis, and restore cuts to community colleges and universities.

In a vitriolic meeting and a show of their raw political power, the west county board representatives again name Sigafoos as Board Chair and reject McCasland, despite her credentials, as Board secretary

The West Yavapai County voting bloc (McCarver, Sigafoos, Irwin) made it clear at the somewhat vitriolic Tuesday, January 15 morning special meeting that it is unwilling to share even a modicum of Board leadership with a member of the east side of the County. In doing so, the west side politicos on the Board flexed their political muscle in a showing of raw political power.

Some observers at the meeting were startled by the hostile, almost angry voice of Pat McCarver when she nominated aging and occasionally rambling Ray Sigafoos for another term as the Board chair. To do this, she forcefully interrupted Paul Chevalier while he was speaking and refused (no kidding, look at the video) to allow him to speak. McCarver’s motion came only after an effort by the east county representatives to select a more neutral Governing Board Chair, Steve Irwin, had failed.  The vote to continue with Sigfoos was 3-2 with east county representatives Deb McCasland and Paul Chevalier in the minority.

In a second effort to obtain a modicum of leadership for the east side of the county on the Board, Paul Chevalier nominated Deb McCasland to serve as Governing Board Secretary.  He argued that she had made a life-long commitment to the College. She was also now entering her fifth year on the Governing Board. (McCasland was first elected to the Board in 2014).  Despite his argument, the west county voting bloc (McCarver, Sigafoos, Irwin) selfishly voted her down.

Paul Chevalier commented that the Governing Board chair had gone back and forth between west county representatives over the past several years.  He argued that the chair should be rotated among the members of the Board similar to how the Yavapai County Supervisors rotate their chair.  In response, Ray Sigafoos claimed that this was talked about once 12 years ago and rejected.  He also said the Board was not a “Rotary Club.”

The west Yavapai County voting bloc ended up giving the secretary’s position to Steve Irwin, which to some observers of the meeting appeared odd, to say the least.  It was odd because  only moments earlier he had told the Board members that medical issues prevented him taking the Board Chair’s position. He did not murmur anything about those issues when McCarver nominated him for the secretary position and astonishingly, he seconded his own nomination. To observers, it appeared that the medical issues disappeared when it came to ensuring that the west county politicos maintained total iron-fisted control of the Governing Board. 

Unfortunately for the 70,000 residents living on the east side of the County, the west county voting bloc has once again cemented its position of control over them. The west side politicos, not east county residents and their representatives, will decide the future of post-secondary education on the east side of the county.  And the west side politicos will ensure that the millions of dollars necessary to continue further developing the community college on that side of Mingus Mountain will contain to flow unabated.

The seven minute video clip of the proceeding appears below. 

New President of Board Linda Thor selected in 4-3 vote

The Maricopa Community College Governing Board coup to oust existing Board president Laurin Hendrix while he still had six months left on his term was successful. According to Arizona Republic reporter Anne Ryman, the 4-3 vote to replace Hendrix  occurred at an unusual special meeting held January 15. He was replaced on the Board by Linda Thor.

Just before the meeting began, Hendrix resigned so that the Board could elect new officers, if they chose. According to reporter Anne Ryman’s story, Hendrix expressed regret over what has been a tough year, including a threat and unknown vandals leaving swastikas in the yard of his Gilbert home.  He also said that “not a single person spoke up,” to condemn the behavior, he said during Tuesday’s meeting.

Thor thanked Hendrix for his work, acknowledging that “it’s been a very difficult year and you’ve put in countless hours.”

You may read the entire story by Anne Ryman in the Arizona Republic by clicking here. 

Joins Second District Representative Deb McCasland as strong voice for the east side of the County

Paul Chavlier

Paul Chavlier will be sworn in as the new member representing the Third District on the Yavapai Community College Governing Board at the Governing Board meeting January 15.  The Third District encompasses Big Park, Bridgeport 1 and 2, Clarkdale, Clemenceau, Coffee Pot, Cottonwood, Fir, Jacks Canyon, Jerome 1 and 2, Mingus, Orchard, Quail Springs, Red Rock 1 and 2, Red Rock East, Red Rock West, Verde Village, Western, and Wild Horse.

Chavlier, who was opposed by sitting Board member Dr. Connie Harris, won the seat in November by receiving almost 55% of the vote. He will join Deb McCasland as a strong voice for the citizens living in the Verde Valley. 

West County Voting Bloc has controlled agenda for at least last eight years by making sure chair is from that side of County; issues regarding east side of County have been blocked from serious discussion

The Yavapai Community College Governing Board will select a new president at its January 15 meeting.  For the past eight years, it has maintained control over the agenda by selecting a member of the Board who represents the west side of the County at is chair.  Who is in the chair is important because he or she sets the agenda for each meeting and controls the ebb and flow of each meeting.

Because of agenda control, issues such as the location of centralized CTEC facility on the east side of the County, a request from the Chino Valley Council to meet regarding a potential raceway, a Board meeting with the Yavapai-Apache Nation, or a serious discussion about the future development of the east side Verde Campus and Sedona Center have been kept from the Board. 

There is hope that neither west-side hardliners Ray Sigafoos nor Pat McCarver will continue as Chair. It is also hoped that the roadblocks for discussion of important issues that current Chair Sigafoos has blocked in the past will be removed after January 1.

Special meeting set for electing a new Governing Board president, even though current President has six months left on his term

According to press reports, four members of the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board have called a special meeting to elect new officers for 2019. The election is being called even though the Board’s current president has six months left in his term as its leader.

Board member Linda Thor said “a new board ought to be able to elect its own officers.”  

Voters on November  6 elected three new members of the governing board that oversees the state’s largest community college district. In an email to The Arizona Republic, Hendrix wrote, “I was elected to a two-year term that has not ended.”  He noted that the ideology of the board majority shifted in the recent election, going from a board with shared conservative views less inclined to support labor unions, to one with a more liberal stance.

For detailed information about this story, please click here and go to Azcentral.com. 

One month of service in January will result in payment to Wills of about $20,000

Some have questioned whether it is worth spending $20,000 to hold over current president Penelope Wills for one month (January) while awaiting the new Community College President to arrive.  The cost to the College for the one month of service by Wills is about $20,000.

The argument that it was not necessary to give her a one-month interim appointment is that one of the vice presidents could have easily filled in for the 31 day period in January 2019. Therefore, a savings of $20,000 to the College, assuming the VP would not charge that amount for the 31 days.

The contrary view is that Wills will add a sort of continuity to the change-over.  Obviously, most of those on the Governing Board felt that possibly saving $20,000 was not of significance as they approved the interim appointment. Someone once said, “A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned.”  Should the phrase have applied here?

Penelope Wills to stay on until then as Interim President

According to information released by the Community College, newly hired Community College president Dr. Lisa Rhine will officially begin her duties February 1.  Until that date, Penelope Wills will act as Interim President.  The Community College Governing Board approved the arrangement earlier this month.

Dr. Rhine will become the institution’s 10th president. Rhine was the unanimous choice of the Community College District Governing Board. She brings more than 30 years of higher-education experience in academic affairs and student development, most recently as provost of Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia.

Despite “certain illnesses,”  asking others to run in the District for the seat, and loaning his campaign at least $5,000, he won the November election by 6,443 votes to his challenger, Wayne Meddaugh’s 5,652; unfounded rumors may have helped push victory to Sigafoos

Wayne Meddaugh

Ray Sigafoos

Ray Sigafoos retained his District #1 seat on the Yavapai Community College Governing Board by getting about 53 percent of the vote (with 13 of 14 precincts reporting) at the Tuesday, November 6 election. 

Sigafoos had indicated before he announced he was going to run for the Board  that he had certain undisclosed illnesses. It was thought his health might prevent him from running. He was first appointed to the Board in 2005 and ran unopposed at two prior elections for the seat.

Sigafoos had also asked others to run for the District #1 seat but his request was rejected.  He then filed.

The stakes were high for the District #1 seat  because it was clear that Wayne Meddaugh would welcome and cooperate with the Verde Valley representatives.  Sigafoos was seen as someone who would protect the west side of the County from giving the east side an equitable opportunity at developing a strong community college presence. In doing so, he would be less than cooperative.

Sigafoos may have been helped by unfounded rumors circulating in Prescott that if Meddaugh and Paul Chevalier won the election, the Verde Valley would take the Community College away from Prescott.  And that big donors would refuse to follow through on anticipated donations.

Meddaugh ran a conservative campaign and could not match the thousands of dollars that Sigafoos put into the effort.

Governing Board watchers speculate that Sigafoos ran to block Meddaugh and will probably resign long before his new six-year term is up.

Seeks to advocate for the Verde Valley and the entire County; well aware of inequities between Prescott and the Verde Valley

Paul Chevalier won the six-year term for the third district Governing Board seat on the Yavapai  Community College Governing Board at Tuesday’s election.  Chevalier won with 54.8 percent of the vote.  That amounted to 5,787 votes in his favor.  His opponent received 4,744 votes.

Chevalier has pledged to advocate on behalf of the Verde Valley and the entire County.  He brings experience and is fully informed about  the tax and educational inequity between the Verde Valley and the Prescott side of Mingus Mountain.  He joins first district representative Deb McCasland on the Board. McCasland has been fighting almost alone for the Verde Valley since former third district representative Al Filardo resigned in protest over the suspension of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee in 2016. His replacement, who was appointed after his resignation, did little to advocate for the needs of the Valley.