Alleged stress, false accusations, excessive workload and more combine to cause outstanding Dean to resign

For most residents in the Sedona/Verde Valley area, the resignation of Dean Dr. Tina Redd came as a surprise.  They wondered what this well-liked  and highly qualified person experienced in her workplace that could have prompted the resignation.  Now they know her side of the story.

In a letter to Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine, Dean Redd outlined a long list of events and issues she faced during her short term. She claimed stress, excessive workload, false accusations, suspicion, and other factors drove her to resign. 

The Blog has obtained a copy of her resignation letter containing her allegations, which appears below.  It gives her perception of the College workplace and working conditions she experienced.  It reads as follows:

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Due to the stress of my work environment, I resign, effective June 2, 2022. This date reflects my goal of completing all faculty and staff performance reviews to ensure they receive the pay increases and gain shares they have earned.

My team and I have successfully increased educational opportunities in the Verde Valley, created a better work environment for Verde faculty and staff, and made good progress in creating stronger relationships between Yavapai College and Verde Valley stakeholders. Despite this, I have experienced stressful, disheartening, and challenging work dynamics that have limited my potential and created unacceptable levels of work-related stress.

Examples of stress-inducing situations I’ve experienced in my work environment that led to this resignation:

• I was required to live in the Verde Valley, but less than a year later was assigned oversight of the largest faculty group in Prescott along with a large increase in workload that made it impossible to do the job I was hired for. Although I am committed to the faculty I am assigned, I have let my supervisor know on two occasions that this job, as it stands, is untenable.

• I was falsely accused of inviting Camp Verde Mayor, Dee Jenkins, to speak at the Skilled Trades Center opening in March 2021. I feel VP Jenkins was undermining my credibility with President Rhine. It may not be coincidental that much of what I report here followed from this incident.

• I’ve experienced a growing sense of questioning and suspicion from my supervisor that seems to be coming from executive leadership. This sense was confirmed by requests to report any activity involving contact with Verde Valley leaders or concerned citizens in April 2021.

• The strained relations with Camp Verde, partly due to an incident involving Rodney Jenkins that happened before I was hired, continue to cloud and undermine interactions with city officials, yet I am charged with supporting every municipality in the Verde Valley. Interactions with Camp Verde are regularly looked upon with suspicion.

• In November 2021, I was asked to stop attending meetings with Verde Valley K-12 superintendents and County Supervisor Michaels, and then in December was told to attend again with no explanation for either directive.

• I also found that President Rhine had permissions to view my calendar in November 2021, which left me feeling like I was being watched at the executive level.

• I am deeply saddened by unclear communication from leadership regarding shared governance and gainsharing that led to a faculty grievance. Ultimately Jill Fitzgerald, a faculty with 25-years of service to the college, was terminated. Since she was a direct report, I felt helpless in the face of internal politics that led to me being excluded in her dismissal proceedings.

• I feel there is general hostility toward the politically-active constituents in the Verde Valley that impedes my ability to represent and support the community.

• I regularly experience a lack of transparency and communication regarding college activities in the Verde Valley which undermines my ability to communicate with the community from a position of knowledge or integrity.

• I feel there is an intentional whittling away of my Verde Valley oversight (the job I was hired for) that makes decision-making and support for Verde Valley faculty and staff more difficult. This has a ripple effect on potential growth in programming and lowers overall morale.

• I often feel that being respected and liked in the Verde Valley is seen as collusion with citizens and civic leaders who are vocal about their concerns regarding college programming and tax payer contributions.

• My attempts at addressing low morale with division faculty has been interpreted as not being aligned with leadership. I am unable to address faculty concerns in a clear, coherent, and honest way without stepping on political land mines.

• In February 2022, the only faculty who is a woman of color resigned and stated that she does not feel safe or supported at the college. I was shocked by the level of distrust my supervisor held toward me when she asked if I had encouraged her to write the letter.

• My loyalty to the college is questioned at every opportunity, even in replacing my administrative coordinator, who will retire in April. I was told the “entire college knows I am unhappy” and that I would not be allowed a replacement coordinator position if I planned to leave. To my knowledge, this has never been practiced at the college before. More importantly, if the entire college knows I’m unhappy, why did no one offer support?

• I am bewildered by the flurry of back channel communication surrounding the OLLI Brown Bag luncheon featuring Paul Chevalier. My associate dean was contacted on her personal cell phone on a Sunday evening (2/27) asking her to immediately supply information about the event creating a sense of panic. After a second request, for specific emails between my associate dean and myself, I reached out to Dr. Ryan to let her know I was happy to supply anything she needed. I was informed two days later that Dr. Ryan has lost her cell phone. Then we were informed that Board Chair Deb McCasland and Tyler Rumsey would attend the event. Was the event being recorded? “No.” Did Dr. Redd give permission for the event? “Dr. Redd doesn’t directly approve OLLI events.” It feels a bit like we’re being interrogated, but we never know why.

• I am now scheduled for a disciplinary meeting over this brown bag luncheon. Regardless of the outcome of this meeting, I am troubled by the approach. As Verde Valley Dean, I cannot function without trust and support. By any account, relations between the college and Verde Valley citizens have been tumultuous for more than twenty years. I didn’t invent this conflict. Yet, I will be formally reprimanded when a conversation about procedures would suffice.

• As the only woman of color in a supervisory role at Yavapai College, I’d like to highlight a comment in a recent resignation letter. “. . . the secretive and swift termination of YC faculty and staff” adds to the feeling of being “at risk and very unsafe.” Another faculty member also expressed concern over the college’s diversity and inclusion efforts. She ultimately resigned from her role as faculty lead in the Respect Campaign due to her belief that the entire effort was disingenuous. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives would have been helpful in making me feel I belong at this college. Instead, my work was the subject of constant scrutiny.

• Finally, as a breast cancer survivor, I know the impact stress has on physical and mental health. I have not slept well for over six months. While stress counseling helps, I would prefer a supportive and transparent leadership team that respects the work of faculty. I have learned much about leadership here at YC, but I’ve also seen the harm calculating, and insular practices can have on even the most dedicated employees. I am choosing to leave this environment, but those who choose to stay deserve a healthy work culture and leadership they trust.

Replacement has yet to be named

Dr. Barb Waak is returning to the classroom as a full-time faculty member in the English department beginning August 2019.  She has served as the Associate Dean for the Verde Valley Campus for the last three years.
Currently, Dean Perey is working in collaboration with President Lisa Rhine and Dr. Ron Liss on a plan for the Associate Dean’s position.

Dr. Waak is a Yavapai Community College alumna and veteran faculty member. When appointed in 2017, she estimated that since she started teaching at Yavapai Community College, more than 6,000 students have come through her classroom door.

Will focus on marketing, fundraising, and new strategy for alumni development

Yavapai Community College formally introduced  its newest addition to the Administration, Mr. Rodney Jenkins, to the District Governing Board at its August 8, 2017 meeting. Mr. Jenkins will assume the duties of Vice President of Community Relations.  This follows the retirement of Steve Walker in December 2016. Jenkins will be responsible for managing Yavapai College’s marketing, communications, public relations, advancement, economic and workforce development, and legislative relations.

Unlike Mr. Walker, Mr. Jenkins will not simultaneously hold the positions of Executive Director of the Yavapai Community College Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization, and  Vice President of Community Relations at the College.

Vice President Jenkins has over 15 years of experience leading marketing and communications departments, political and issues-based campaigns, and strengthening community relations. He served as Lock Haven University’s Vice President of University Relations in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania from June 2012 to the present. His responsibilities there included managing the offices of communications, marketing, special events, athletics, alumni relations and development.

Before moving to Lock Haven, he was the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Dekalb County school system in Georgia, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Georgia Department of Administrative Services, Director of Corporate Marketing for Cleveland Public Power, and Chief Public Affairs Officer for the City of Cleveland.

Mr. Jenkins emphasized marketing, fundraising, and developing an alumni strategy in his brief comments to the Governing Board. His comments to the board may be viewed below.

Replaces Steve Walker as VP for Community College

Yavapai Community College has announced that Mr. Rodney Jenkins will become the new Vice President of Community Relations.  This follows the retirement of Steve Walker, in December 2016. Jenkins will be responsible for managing Yavapai College’s marketing, communications, public relations, advancement, economic and workforce development, and legislative relations.

Vice President Rodney Jenkins

His expected start date is Monday, July 3.  Unlike Mr. Walker, he will not simultaneously hold the position of Executive Director of the Yavapai Community College Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization.

Vice President Jenkins has over 15 years of experience leading marketing and communications departments, political and issues-based campaigns, and strengthening community relations. He served as Lock Haven University’s Vice President of University Relations in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania from June 2012 to the present. His responsibilities there included managing the offices of communications, marketing, special events, athletics, alumni relations and development.

Before moving to Lock Haven, he was the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Dekalb County school system in Georgia, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Georgia Department of Administrative Services, Director of Corporate Marketing for Cleveland Public Power, and Chief Public Affairs Officer for the City of Cleveland.

For more information, please go to the College announcement by clicking here.

Who is Scott Farnsworth, Dean of Science, Health, and Public Service; the Interim Vice President to replace Provost and Vice President for Instruction and Student Development, Stuart Blacklaw?

• A Prescott resident and native.

• As Dean of the Sciences, Health and Public Safety Division, he presides over a wide variety of programs and courses from Allied Health to Zumba.

Vice President Farmsworth

• He was selected in April 2008 as the Director of Athletics, Health, Physical Education and Recreation. He has 25 years of varied experience in Athletics and HPER.

• He has been elected twice as Faculty Association President for Yavapai College. He has also served as chairman of Arizona’s Athletic Training Regulatory Board, as well as both president and vice president of the Arizona Athletic Trainers Association. Instruction for the Professional Development of Physical Educators.

• He joined the HPER staff at Yavapai College in 1987. He teaches a variety of courses for the department, many of them related to the professional development of physical educators, as well as outdoor recreation.

•As Yavapai College’s first full-time athletic trainer, VP Farnsworth is viewed as instrumental in the success Yavapai College Athletics, which have experienced 8 National Championships in three different sports.

• In 2000 he participated at the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia as a member of the Medical Staff for the United States team. He followed up by serving as a volunteer for the 2002 Winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

• He received his B.S., from Brigham Young University in Physical Education and his M.S., from the University of Arizona in Exercise and Sport Science.

According to reliable sources, he cannot be a candidate for the permanent Vice President position.