Most important that CTE create “destination programs” as much as possible; Don’t repeat earlier mistakes

Former Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee member Bill Regner, a member of the Clarkdale Town Council speaking as an individual, cautioned the Governing Board and President Lisa Rhine at the April meeting against repeating earlier mistakes made in the East Region when Career and Technical Education (CTE) training was first attempted (2004-06). He said that he learned when on the Committee from College staff “that the challenge to the Verde Valley was sustaining programs over the long-term.  Programs would be started, go for a couple years, and begin to run out of local students, [and when the College] couldn’t fill the classes,  the programs began to be terminated.”

Regner said that it is important that with every new CTE program an attempt be made to make it a destination program.  In this way the program fills the classroom seats and becomes sustainable.

Regner said that the 70,000 residents in the East Region need CTE opportunities but may not have enough students to satisfy the minimum classroom enrollment requirements of the Community College.  The “answer” to sustainability, he said, is creation of destination programs. He noted that viticulture and enology programs are doing exactly that.  He said that time will tell when the culinary and hospitality programs will likewise attract students from outside the local area to supplement the number of local students in the classes.

You may view Mr. Regner’s speech to the Governing Board below.  

Says program offers “special opportunity” for residents in Verde Valley if College can collaborate with the town of Camp Verde and Camp Verde High School in the project

Joe Butner

Camp Verde Councilmember Joe Butner spoke to the Yavapai Community College Governing Board at its April meeting about the potential of developing an equine program in the East region. Specifically, he asked that the College consider collaborating with the town of Camp Verde and the Camp Verde high school in creating such a program at the new rodeo grounds.

Butner said ground had been broken for the new rodeo grounds just a week or so earlier. He anticipated having the first rodeo there in the next six months. The new rodeo grounds are located on the east side of Camp Verde adjacent Highway 260 on the way to Payson, Arizona.

Butner also said that creation of an equine program provided a “special opportunity” for the people of the Verde Valley to “acquire education and skills in equine and agricultural areas” through this collaboration.

The Community College currently offers an Equine Care and Management certificate at the Chino Valley Center.  It describes the program as preparing “students for entrepreneurship, employment, or advancement in a variety of equine fields including business/barn management, training, husbandry, grooming, sales, marketing and nutrition.”

You may view Councilman Butner’s speech to the Governing Board below.

Came to Community College through Wildhorse Rescue program

First resident horse: Rose

Yavapai Community College has obtained its first resident horse. The horse, whose name is Rose, came to the College through the Wildhorse rescue program. This program is supported by College benefactor  Mel Shutz.

Mr. Shutz provided $5,000 to fund the horse’s transition, training and care. According to the College, the horse has spent two months of ground training and safety evaluation by Equine instructor Gary Gang.

Rose becomes the first horse owned by the College. The reason for the purchase was to provide students who don’t own a horse the opportunity to nevertheless take riding classes. They will have the opportunity to work in Ground Skills Training and Grooming in addition to Riding classes.

The Equine program is operated at the Chino Valley Center. The program falls within the jurisdiction of the Career and Technical Education department.

“I heard the cry loud and clear”

Dr. Lisa Rhine

Yavapai Community College president Dr. Lisa Rhine commented to reporter Jon Hecht in the May 1 Cottonwood Journal Extra about the outpouring of citizens who attended the April 23 Governing Board meeting and spoke passionately about the need for a centralized Career and Technical Education Center in the east region of the County. According to the article, the following was her response:

“I am pleased that so many community leaders and members are passionate about the educational needs of our community and rightfully see the college as the entity that can fulfill those needs.

“I listened intently, and I heard the cry loud and clear from the Valley.”  [A CTE facility] “is possible.  My next step is to engage a few key stakeholders to explore the possibility and see how we can partner to meet the needs of the community.”

Mr. Hecht’s complete article about the meeting can be found on page 1 of the May 1 Cottonwood Journal Extra or online at http://www.journalaz.com/news.html. 

Says although promises were not specific, point was in meeting with former president years ago that Verde Valley would be given much greater consideration than it had in the past; however, promises went largely unfulfilled; hopes for brighter future with the new president

Former Sedona Vice Mayor Ernie Strauch, who has spent years working for Sedona in a number of positions (many of which were volunteer), reflected to the District Governing Board at its April 23 meeting on a gathering between a group of citizens (including Mr. Strauch) and the former Yavapai Community College president.  He said that during that meeting that while promises from the former president were not necessarily specific, he came away from the meeting believing that the Verde Valley would be receiving much greater consideration from her than it had in the past.

He said that “I’m here today sorry to indicate that I feel those promises have been largely unfulfilled.” 

Strauch thanked the College for the culinary effort at the Sedona Center. However, he begged the Governing Board and new president  “to give additional consideration [to the Verde Valley.]”  He also said that he had heard “wonderful things” about the new president and hoped “this time around we’ll get a little more consideration.” He made it clear he was talking about CTE in the Verde Valley.

You may view all of Mr. Strauch’s short speech to the Governing Board in the clip below.