FRUSTRATION AT BOARD ACTION KILLING OFF THE VERDE VALLEY BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE THE LAST STRAW
Al Filardo
Mr. Al Filardo formally resigned his seat on the Yavapai College District Governing Board November 1, 2016 at the meeting of the Board in Sedona. Filardo, who completed two years on the Board, found it impossible to work with the three-member majority on the Board led by Pat McCarver. Bob Oliphant, who preceded Filardo, resigned after one year on the Board representing the Verde Valley.
In his resignation speech, Filardo pointed to four key areas of guiding principles that caused his resignation. They were the Board and College: (1). Making significant fiscal commitments without the requisite comprehensive strategic planning; (2). Failing to authorize research to inform important, key decisions; (3). Overlooking problems masked by policy governance; and (4). Suspending the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee.
Filardo stated that “My observation is we are getting caught up in the quarrel and forgetting our mandated cause – we are to serve the educational needs of the citizens of Yavapai County. How can we know their needs if we silence their voices. Based on my years of experience as a process-improvement and organizational development champion, I’ve witnessed when intelligent people quarrel and lose sight of the real cause, they do incredibly stupid things. They become politically obnoxious, diplomatically inept, and intellectually bankrupt.”
You may read all of Mr. Filaro’s speech by clicking .al-filardo-speech.