Verde Valley Expectations dashed when Community College opened Career and Technical Education Center at the Prescott airport in 2006-07

In 2000 the voters in the Community College District approved a $69.5 million bond issue. The Bond provided revenue for Community College renovation and expansion throughout the County. Included in that bond issue was a promise from the Community College to set aside revenue to construct and support a major CTE training facility on the Verde Campus.

The Career and Technical Education facility on the Verde Campus was to be called the “Northern Arizona Regional Skills Center (NARSC).” Yavapai Community College teamed with the United States Department of Commerce to provide the funds to construct the Center on the Verde Campus. Yavapai Community College dedicated approximately $1.3 million from its $69.5 million bond while the federal government provided $1.2 million in additional capital funding for workforce development. Yavapai County residents expected that the Center would provide education and vocational learning opportunities for high school students and residents across much of Northern Arizona. The program was intended to serve Yavapai, Coconino, Apache, and Navajo counties.

Professor Paul Kessel, the chief operational officer for the Verde Campus, when interviewed in 2002 about the future of the Northern Arizona Regional Skills Center on the Verde Campus, was enthusiastic. He said: “[T]he (Center) will provide much‐needed educational space and resources to further develop job training programs to benefit residents of northern Arizona. This is an exciting and unique opportunity for northern Arizona residents to gain specific work related skills that will allow citizens to seek immediate employment or increase their level of income in a current or new position.(Daily Courier, December 11, 2002.)

According to interviews given to the local media, the Community College indicated that the curriculum, at least in part, would be developed based on recommendations from business operators in Northern Arizona seeking specific training for existing and potential future employees. The Community College also announced that it had already identified a number of programs that were in the developmental stage. Those programs included the following:

• Nursing Assistant
• Direct Patient Care Provider
• Medical Assistant‐ Front and Back Office
• General Office, Customer Service, Receptionist
• General Accounting, Receivable, Payable and Payroll
• Computer Repair
• Facilities Maintenance‐Plumbing, Carpentry, Electrical, Grounds keeping, Air Conditioning Automotive Technician
• Welding 
• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration 
• Cottage Industry and Small Business Operations 
• Commercial Drivers’ License Training, Truck Driving, Bus Driving.

 BUILDING “L” COMPLETED IN 2004

In February 2004, Building “L” that would house  the Northern Arizona Regional Skills Center on the Verde Campus was dedicated. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report published and distributed by the College on June 30, 2004 summarized the progress of the Center. It reads as follows: “The construction of the new 15,000 square foot Northern Arizona Regional Skill Center on the Verde Valley Campus was completed this year. The building was formally dedicated at the February 2004 District Governing Board meeting. Programs at the Center will focus on six key areas ‐ business and office technology, basic health‐related occupations, construction and building maintenance, hospitality and tourism, information technology management, and manufacturing/engineering technology. The new Center will serve the workforce training needs of residents living in Apache, Coconino, Navajo and Yavapai counties.”

As noted above, partial funding for the Center was provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce ‐ Economic Development Administration.

In 2006, Phelps‐Dodge (later Freeport‐McMoRan Copper & Gold), a Phoenix‐based global mining company, let the Community College administrators and some Govern Board members know that it would financially support the creation of a two‐year College apprenticeship program in diesel, industrial and electrical mechanics. Phelps‐Dodge agreed to build classrooms and pay faculty salaries for the first three years of the program.

Rather than put the diesel training facility on the East side of the County as a part of the fledgling Northern Arizona Regional Skills Center, the College administrators, with Governing Board approval, began looking for a facility in the Prescott area where a CTE Community College Career and Technical Education Center could be developed. The College Administrators found a large building at the Prescott airport for sale. They concluded it would be a perfect site for a CTE Community College Center. A funding scheme to purchase the building was quickly arranged. In April 2007, the College purchased the 108,000 square foot building under a lease purchase financing scheme for $5 million. An additional $750,000.00 was added for future renovations. (Recall the Northern Arizona Regional Skills Center was only 15,000 square feet.)

Once the decision to build a major CTE Campus at the Prescott airport was made, the College showed little further interest in developing the Northern Arizona Regional Skills Center on the Verde Campus in Building “L.” Most of the anticipated CTE courses that were listed above as in the development stage either never got off the ground at the Center or were eventually moved to the Prescott CTE Campus. Read More→

Students apparently not involved—unclear why employee meeting takes on label as a “convocation”

The Blog erred in its assumption that the convocation for this week found in the Community College calendar was for students.  The Blog story posted earlier is not correct. Turns out that reliable sources have told us it is a gathering of employees where college officials give speeches.  

Seems a little odd to label it a “convocation” rather than an employee business meeting.  Oh well, our apologies.

Barbie Duncan, former Assistant Dean of Student Services, seeks equity and proper “seat at the table” for the Verde Valley for the first time in 50 years 

Barbie Duncan, former Assistant Dean of Student Services, asked the Governing Board at its October meeting to delay a decision on a new College president until January.  She argued that if the election changes the composition of the Board, the newly elected members should participate in the final selection of the president.  Under the present scheme as announced by the College, the current Board members will make the final selection of a College president regardless of the outcome of the November election.

Ms. Duncan also commented on the Attorney General’s investigation, suspension of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee, the excellent faculty, and poor administrative leadership in some quarters. She asked for a “voice at the table” for the Verde Valley.

You may view Ms. Duncan’s three minute speech to the Governing Board below.

Demands College cease and desist the subtle but clear political activity using taxpayer money; conduct raises legal and ethical questions for the College

Public body using taxpayer money for subtle political advertising for favored candidates. That doesn’t pass the smell test!

Paul Chevalier’s campaign has demanded that the College cease and desist in its efforts to use its staff and taxpayer money to produce and send a politically tainted four-color four page postcard to all Yavapai County residents just before the November election.  The politically tainted postcard is described as “featuring a current board member, the member’s photo and text.” In the context of the November election, the politically tainted postcard provides an incumbent Governing Board member with an unchallenged political platform. This includes  the personal photograph noted above plus the opportunity to extoll his or her virtues in writing, real or imagined, to every voter in his or her district. 

A request to Yavapai College President  Penelope Wills and members of the College Governing Board to cease and desist from this activity prior to the November election has been formally made to the College.  However, as of the posting of this Blog (Friday, September 28, 2018) the Chevalier campaign had apparently received no reply from College President Wills or the Governing Board.

Emily Weinacker began work August 12

Dr. Emily Weinacker

Yavapai Community College has hired a new Director of Human Resources.  She began August 12. She is. Dr. Emily Weinacker.

Dr. Weinacker most recently worked at Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low. Before that she was the Associate Dean of Human Resources at Mesa Community College for more than 5-years.  She was also the Human Resources manager at Glendale Community College from January 2006 to August 2008.

Writes that juror could “determine that the Defendants created the JTED program and the combined AVT program” to get a “false record or statement” to obtain Government payment

As you may recall, the multimillion dollar lawsuit between the former director of aviation programs at Yavapai College, Dan Hamilton, and the College is headed for a jury trial.  If it is not settled, the jury will be asked to decide whether the College took sufficient steps to inform the VA about how they were calculating the 85/15 rule. Hamilton alleges that Yavapai College and its airplane program partner, NorthAire Aviation, violated the Veteran’s Administration funding rule that limits VA beneficiary enrollment to 85% in any program.  (In other words, the program must have at least 15% of its enrollees as civilians.)

In his most recent ruling the Judge touched on a number of factors not favoring the College.  One of them was a possible conspiracy.

According to Federal District Court Judge Murray Snow, “Hamilton has presented evidence that the Defendants were engaged in emails discussing “85/15 permanent fixes” in July of 2012.” He went on to write that: “There is also evidence suggesting that the Defendants knew there were concerns regarding the legality of the JTED program during that time period. Finally, there is evidence that during a meeting attended by representatives of both Guidance and Yavapai, John Morgan claimed that the Defendants “are shackled by the VA” and the 85/15 Rule. In his deposition, John Morgan admitted that one of the purposes behind creating the JTED program was to increase veteran eligibility in the combined AVT program.  These facts indicate that a reasonable juror could determine that the Defendants created the JTED program and the combined AVT program with the `purpose of getting’ the false record or statement to bring about the Government’s payment of a false or fraudulent claim.”

You may read Judge Snow’s entire ruling by clicking here. 620 ORDER on MSJs[5372]

Verde Campus to receive about 6% of expenditures although it provides 30% of total tax revenue received by College

Yavapai Community College rolled out its proposed Preventive and Unplanned maintenance budget for 2018 – 19 at the March 6, 2018 Governing Board meeting. The College estimates it will spend about $4,224,000 for preventative and unplanned maintenance during that period. There appeared no opposition to expending this amount from the Board.

Although the Verde Valley property taxes make up about 30% of the tax revenue received annually by the College, only 6% of the Preventative and Unplanned maintenance costs will be spent on the Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale and the Sedona Center. Below is the chart presented to the Governing Board by the College Administration.

Meeting private; no press or uninvited public allowed; Board members may attend; College will pick invitees from alumni and donors; others invited include Chamber of Commerce,  Mayors, Superintendents, City Managers 

Vice President of Community Relations, Rodney Jenkins, announced the scheduling of two alleged public forums to hear what the College described as “local feedback on the College’s performance and the role it can play in their communities going forward.” The College announced that the forums are private and neither the press nor the public can attend. Board members, however, can attend.

The College will decide who is invited and indicated its list includes certain members of the Chamber of Commerce, mayors, city managers, and superintendents. It will select certain alumni and donors. The individual views of the participants are to be kept anonymous from the public and contained in a report sent to the Governing Board. Board member Connie Harris described the event as “safe” with anonymous feedback.  Ironically, the Board and President Wills added that the event results should be “transparent.”

The west county forum will be held April 12, at the Prescott Campus Community Room, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The east county forum will take place April 13, in the Verde Valley Campus Community Room, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

The five questions participants will be asked to discuss follow.  Also, a short video of the College’s announcement made at the March 6 Governing Board meeting follows.

Here is the video.