Payne calls for improved communication and more effective response to his requests from Board Leadership
Third District Representative Toby Payne
Yavapai Community College District 3 Governing Board representative Toby Payne says he has been repeatedly overlooked when it comes to notification about events and his requests for meetings—and he’s calling for improved communication and a more effective response to his requests from the District Governing Board leadership.
Third District Governing Board Toby Payne, who represents Sedona, the Verde Valley, and areas stretching nearly to Camp Verde, raised his concerns during the District Governing Board’s all-day “self-assessment” session on May 29, 2025.
“I’m very concerned about not being invited to various events,” Payne told the board. “When I first joined the Board, we were notified of events and had the opportunity to participate. We’re not getting that anymore.”
Among the events Payne said he was not invited to attend were all spring graduation ceremonies and the recent dedication of the Prescott Pines campus. “I didn’t even know the dedication was happening,” he said. “I voted for the project. At the very least, I should have been informed of the date. I’m having a real problem with the fact that I’m not being included.”
“Even the graduation on this side of the mountain,” Payne added, referring to the Verde Valley area, “I wasn’t invited to it.”
The Community College’s Administrative Assistant to the Board, Yvonne Sandoval—who also serves as the executive assistant to President Lisa Rhine—took full responsibility for the communication breakdown.
“I want to sincerely apologize,” Sandoval said during the meeting. “The reason you weren’t included in the commencement email was because I misunderstood. I thought you had said you would be on vacation, and that’s why I didn’t send the invitation.”
She also acknowledged failing to notify Payne about the Prescott Pines dedication. “This is not an excuse, but I was a one-woman show when the invitations went out. It was my oversight, and mine only. I am sincerely sorry, sir. The responsibility falls directly and solely on me.”
Payne also indicated his concern with how his request for a Board meeting to iron out difficulties made back in January was ignored. “I tried, I tried to take and say that we needed to get together back in January, and I really felt that it was important, and important to me because I’ve done work, study sessions. . . . And I know that’s how the boards come together, but we haven’t been doing that. and it’s important. It’s important for us to be able to work together. . . . I know that’s how the boards come together, but we haven’t been doing that.”
Payne suggested that all future events that could involve a District Governing Board member, be put on a calendar so all members can see them well in advance of their happening.
Payne’s concerns highlight the tensions over communication and inclusion within the Community College’s governing structure, particularly between board members representing Sedona and the Verde Valley and those from the Prescott area. His experience underscores a broader pattern of marginalization that many in the Verde Valley have long suspected but few in power seem willing to address.