INFLUENTIAL YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION MEMBERSHIP DOMINATED BY PRESCOTT AREA CITIZENS

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.