Entrepreneur; First woman to head Foundation; First person from Verde Valley to head  Foundation; Student, wine maker; smashing the glass ceiling

The August/September issue of Prescott Woman features Dr. Lisa Rhine and ten outstanding Yavapai Community College faculty and staff, including Verde Valley’s own Valerie Wood.    Ms. Wood has smashed the invisible glass ceiling, at least at the Foundation, that may have effectively barred women from advancing. She is believed to be the first female president of the Yavapai Community College Foundation. She is the first person from the Verde Valley to lead the prestigious organization.  However, the feature story in Prescott Woman is not about all that.

The story on Valerie Wood provides a look at her background including a stint with McDonald’s Corporation in the Real Estate and Construction Division based out of Japan, and her current Valerie Wood & Associates Executive Coaching business. It reminds us that she and her husband, Dan, became students in the viticulture program and then the first student employees at the Southwest Wine Center. They helped start the student organization Grand Crew, and also generously sponsored  and established a $30,000 Yavapai Community College Scholarship for students. The $30,000 Scholarship supports eight student awards per year for 10 years.

Valerie says she and her husband are literally “‘living the dream’ and making our own wine in the Verde Valley.”  Take a look at the feature story in Prescott Woman. (Click here to read the feature story.)

No indication of project in Community College Facilities Newsletter, December update to Master Plan or May Governing Board meeting

It came as a surprise to most when construction signs began to appear this month in the Yavapai Community College  library on the Prescott Campus, Building 19, room 106, declaring that the Community College Foundation was going to construct offices in that facility.  This area is generally referred to as the “Library Living Room.”  There was no mention of the new construction in the last Facilities Newsletter provided to the Governing Board or in the updated December 2018 Master Plan. The Blog can recall nothing mentioned about the project at the May Governing Board meeting (the last of one until fall).

Requests made to the Community College for information about the project have so far gone unanswered.

You may view the March/April 2019 Facilities Newsletter where forthcoming projects are listed (last one submitted to the Governing Board) by clicking here.

You may view the December 2018 Community College Master Plan update by clicking here. 

Valerie Wood first ever Foundation president from Verde Valley; Yavapai Apache Nation Jane Russell-Winiecki added plus three others (18% of members from Verde Valley not including  nine emeriti who are all from Prescott area)

For the first time in the history of the Yavapai Community College Foundation the east region of the County will have five members on the 27 member Board.  Valerie Wood, who became president of the Board for 2019-20 is the first person from the Verde Valley to hold that position.  The Yavapai-Apache Nation is finally represented on the Board by Jane Russell-Winiecki.  Other members added from the Verde Valley include Kirk Koch, President, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center, Joan Meyers Founder of the Southwest Wine Center and coordinator of the volunteers for the auxiliary, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center, and former Cottonwood mayor Diane Joens.

In addition to the 27 members of the Board, there were also nine emeriti members selected this year.  All nine emeriti members are believed to be from the Prescott area of the County.

The following is a list of the membership.  The east region of the County should have nine members from that area  if the Foundation were considering Board representation based on population in the County.  However, five members is a huge step from its past history one, two or three.

Yavapai Community College Foundation Board of Directors for 2019 – 2020  (27)

*Valerie Wood, President

Don Michelman, Immediate Past President

Cindy Nyman, First Vice President

Mike Rethman, Second Vice President

Bill Sonsin, Treasurer

Jeff Wasowicz, Secretary Jeff

Dr. Lisa Rhine, Yavapai College President

Anne Barton

Diane Drexler

Dr. Clint Ewell, YC Vice President of Administration & Finance

Tony Hamer

Hope Hyland, President, Friends of the Family Enrichment Center

Steve Irwin, District Governing Board Liaison

Rodney Jenkins, YC Vice President of Community Relations

*Diane Joens

Paul Kirchgraber, Executive Director YCF

*Kirk Koch, President, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center

Charles Leon

Dr. Patricia McCarver, District Governing Board Liaison

*Joan Meyers Founder of the Southwest Wine Center and coordinator of the volunteers for the auxiliary, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center

Bill Miller

Lenora Nelson

*Jane Russell-Winiecki, chairwoman, Yavapai-Apache Nation

Robert Schmitt

Marnie Uhl

Angela Walker-Weber

Phil Winkelstern

Board Members Emeriti FY 2019 – 2020 (9)

Frank Fitzgerald Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019

Pamela Haber Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019

Perry Massie Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019

Howard Moody Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019

Jean Phillips Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2010

Karen Rizk Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019

Oren Thompson Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019

Chuck Walker Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019

Richard Wright Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019

**Source:  Yavapai Community College Foundation web site at  https://www.yc.edu/v5content/yavapai-college-foundation/docs/board-bio.pdf.

Diane Joens, and Stephanie Purinton join Valerie Wood and Joan Meyers on Board; Remaining 24 Board members from Prescott area

The highly influential Yavapai Community College Foundation added three new members at its annual 2018 May meeting.  They are: Diane Drexler, Chief Nursing Officer at Yavapai Regional Medical Center; Diane Joens, former mayor of Cottonwood; and Stephanie Purinton, owner of Bella Vita Healthcare located in Cottonwood.

It was not clear from the press announcement from the College whether these appointments were to be added to the current 28 Board members or that they were replacing three members who left the Board. 

The Foundation’s composition is hardly representative of the County. While the east side of the County accounts for more than 70,000 residents and the West side about 140,000, the Board membership is 24-4 in favor of the West side of the County. Furthermore, the College administrators, despite what some believe is a direct conflict of interest, remain on the Board.

There are two District Governing Board members on the Board, Pat McCarver and Steve Irwin, who are listed as Foundation Board members (liaisons).  Traditionally, there is only a single member of the Governing Board “elected” as liaison by the Governing Board.  However, apparently because he recognizes the enormous influence the Foundation has on the direction of the College, Steve Irwin asked to be appointed to the Board. Both are members of the West County voting bloc that controls the District Governing Board.

There are 28 members of the Foundation Board with seven Foundation executive committee members including Dr. Penelope Wills. Only a single member of the executive committee, First Vice President Valerie Wood, is from the Verde Valley. Of the 21 remaining directors, only three, Joan Meyers, Diane Joens, and Stephanie Purinton are  from the Verde Valley.

Joens is the former mayor of Cottonwood who lost an election in 2016 for County Supervisor to Randy Garrison.  Purinton is a certified nurse midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner in Cottonwood. Joan Meyers is President, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center. Valier Wood is President and Certified Executive Coach of Valerie Wood and Associates, LLC., where she provides commercial real estate consulting and helps motivated leaders and businesses improve their performance and quality of life.

All from West County; East County has only 2 seats on 27 member Board

The highly influential and powerful Yavapai Community College Foundation has added three new members.  They are all from the West side of the County. The three were highlighted in the most recent issue of the Foundation’s Focus magazine. (You may click here to go to the online version of the magazine.) 

Charles Leon is a past member of the Yavapai College District Governing Board representing the West side of the County in old District #4. 

Lenora Nelson currently serves as President of Bennett Oil Company, a third generation family owned business that has serviced Arizona’s petroleum needs since 1938.  She has served as the Chair of the Board for Prescott Chamber of Commerce.

Marnie Uhl l is the President/CEO of the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce having served in that capacity since 2006.

You may view the biographical sketches of all Foundation Board members by clicking here.

Based on population and concept of “fair representation by population,” the Verde Valley should have from 7 to 9 members on the Board; it has 2

There has been little change in the residence of the members of the newly announced Yavapai Community College Foundation 2017-18 Board from earlier Boards. (You may click here to review the biographies of all the current Foundation members.)

Its composition is hardly representative of the County. While the East side of the County accounts for more than 70,000 residents and the West side about 140,000, the Board membership is 25-2 in favor of the West side of the County. Furthermore, the College administrators, despite what some believe is a direct conflict of interest, remain on the Board.

There are two District Governing Board members, Pat McCarver and Steve Irwin, who are listed as Foundation Board members (liaisons).  Traditionally, there is only a single member of the Governing Board who is “elected” as liaison by the Governing Board.  However, apparently because he recognizes the enormous influence the Foundation has on the direction of the College, Steve Irwin asked to be appointed to the Board (never done before.) Both are members of the West County voting bloc that controls the District Governing Board.

There are 27 members of the Foundation Board with seven Foundation executive committee members including Dr. Penelope Wills. Only a single member of the executive committee, First Vice President Valerie Wood, is from the Verde Valley. Of the 20 remaining directors, only one, Joan Meyers, President, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center is from the Verde Valley.

The Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation and is independent from the College. It is enormously influential in terms of the direction of the College. Therefore, you find such amenities intended for citizen use (and student use) on the Prescott campus such as a professional seven court tennis complex, indoor heated swimming pool and therapy pool, an excellent childcare center and the 1,100 seat Performing Arts dinner theater. No other campus or Center in the County has College facilities like these although all County taxpayers and student tuition pay for  them on the Prescott Campus. It is argued that the Foundation has been politically instrumental in the development of these facilities on the West side of the County.

A booklet reporting on the Foundation activities handed out at the May meeting to those in attendance may be found by clicking here.

Only two of the 29 members from the East side of Yavapai County on the 2016-17 Board

The powerful Yavapai College Foundation held its annual meeting on May 11, 2016 at the Performing Arts Center. New board members were elected. Of the total of 29 members, including the Executive Director and liaison from the Governing Board, only two  persons come from the east side of Yavapai County. They are Joan Meyers, president of the Friends of Southwest Wine Center Auxiliary and Valerie Wood.  Ms. Wood is second Vice President of the Foundation. The East side of the County accounts for more than 70,000 residents; the West side about 140,000.  The overwhelming majority of members live in Prescott or in close proximity to that city.

The Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation that is independent from the College. It is enormously influential in terms of the direction of the College. Therefore, you find such amenities intended for citizen use (and student use) on the Prescott campus such as a professional seven court tennis complex, indoor heated swimming pool and therapy pool, an excellent childcare center and the 1,100 seat Performing Arts dinner theater. No other campus or Center in the County has similar College facilities.

Yavapai College President Penelope Wills is a member of the Foundation Board’s Executive Committee. Clint Ewell, the Vice President for finances at the College is a member of the directors. Because of the technical independence of the Foundation from the College, some would argue that having the College’s top administrators as members of the Foundation Board is a conflict of interest.

A booklet reporting on the Foundation activities handed out at the May meeting to those in attendance may be found by clicking here.

The Community College is inviting you to help plant the final acre of the vinyard on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale. For more information about how you can help or to become a sponsor, please call (928) 776-2359 or email foundation@yc.edu. Register Online Now

Community College operations and Foundation are now “somewhat” independent

The appointment of Paul Kirchgraber to Executive Director of the Yavapai College Foundation, which was announced March 22, 2017, was a good one. Among other things, it begins the process of separating the interests of the independent Foundation from the wishes and desires of the Yavapai Community College administrators desires and wishes. However much needs to be done.

Kirchgraber’s predecessor, Mr. Steve Walker, was hired in 2006 as both the Executive Director of the Foundation and as a College Vice President. He resigned earlier this year. The conflict of interest with Mr. Walker wearing two hats simultaneously is obvious. While the Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, and operates to support the Community College, it may at times have goals that are not necessarily in agreement with Community College administrators. With Mr. Walker as Executive Director and a vice president of the College, his ability to influence Foundation members in the direction of the wishes and desires of college administrators was enormous.

A Conflict Remains:

Although Mr. Walker has retired, College President Dr. Penelope Wills remains as an elected member of the Foundation directors and sits on its executive committee. Vice president Clint Ewell also sits as a director on the Foundation. These two individuals carry enormous weight and influence within the Foundation. It makes it difficult, if not almost impossible, for the Foundation to operate independent of their influence. Hopefully, that will change in the future.

You may find a list of the current Yavapai College Foundation board members by clicking here.