Deadline to show interest is December 2

Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter has initiated the process of filling the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board seat soon to be vacated by District 4 representative Chris Kuknyo. This District includes North Prescott, Chino Valley, Paulden, Ash Fork, Seligman, and surrounding areas. Kuknyo will remain on the Board until December 31, 2024, and the new appointment is expected to be finalized and announced by December 18, 2024.

Application Details
Individuals interested in serving on the Board are invited to submit a letter of interest and a resume to Superintendent Tim Carter at the Yavapai County Education Service Agency. Submissions can be sent to the following address:

• Mail: 2970 Centerpointe East, Prescott, AZ 86301
• Fax: 928-771-3329
• Email: [email protected]

Applicants should include details about their background, including family, education, and work experience, as well as an explanation of why they wish to join the Board. The letter must also include the applicant’s residence and mailing address, email address, and home/work phone numbers. Additionally, candidates may submit up to three letters of recommendation.

The deadline for submitting all materials is Monday, December 2, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

Selection Process
A five-person committee will review all applications, resumes, and any letters of recommendation. The committee will include:

1. A taxpayer.
2. A faculty member.
3. A student.
4. An elected official.
5. A workforce development professional.

This committee will shortlist candidates for interviews, establish interview questions, and conduct the interviews on December 13, 2024. Afterward, they will recommend finalists for Superintendent Carter’s consideration.

Before making the final selection, Carter will consult individually with the currently seated Yavapai College Governing Board members to gather their input on the finalists. However, this process raises a notable issue: outgoing Board member Ray Sigafoos, who was defeated in the recent election, will participate in candidate discussions, while newly elected Board member William Kiel, who begins his term in January 2025, will not.

Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the District 4 seat, applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a registered voter residing in District 4.
• Be a U.S. citizen at least 18 years of age.
• Have civil rights intact.
• Neither the applicant nor their spouse may be employed by the college district.

This is a non-partisan seat, and the appointment process will adhere to the statutory requirements.

It is anticipated that an interim appointment for Kuknyo’s District 4 seat on Governing Board will be made in January or February 2025 by the County Educational Superintendent

Chris Kuknyo

Yavapai Community College District Governing Board member Chris Kuknyo, who ran as a conservative Republican, was elected by a margin of 138 votes over his closest Republican challenger for the position of District 4 Yavapai County Board Supervisor in the July 2024 primary.

It is expected that Kuknyo will soon notify the County Education Superintendent of his intention to step down from the Governing Board due to his election to the supervisor position. Kuknyo was originally appointed to the Yavapai District Governing Board in 2020 for a six-year term, as he was the only candidate to file for the seat. His term is set to expire on December 31, 2026. His successor is likely to be appointed by the County Education Superintendent in January or February 2025 to fill out his last two years.

Last business meeting was May 21; last  workshop May 28; one meeting at Clarkdale campus is on fall schedule

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board has announced its fall schedule.  Its first business meeting is set for September 24, which is almost four months since it last met on May 21. Two of the fall meetings are scheduled at the Prescott Campus Rock House while one will be held on the Clarkdale Campus.

The December meeting on the schedule is a Governing Board dinner.

While fall meeting agenda not yet posted, first business meeting probably will not be held until September

The five-member Yavapai Community College Governing Board appears to be on a three month break.  Its last publicly scheduled meeting for 2024 was the workshop held on the Prescott Campus May 28, 2024.  Although the meeting schedule for the remainder of the year has yet to be posted, it appears that the first business meeting of the Board will not be held until sometime in September.

It is noteworthy that that the official minutes of the various May meetings held by the Governing Board  will lie dormant until the Board formally meets to discuss and approve them, most likely in September. Until then, residents must rely on the video records posted on the District website, which act as temporary minutes.

Joined by Board lawyer who says it is a “terrific idea” and will lead to greater “transparency

Ray Sigafoos, District Governing Board member

County residents must once again thank 81-year-old Yavapai Community College District Governing Board member Ray Sigafoos for his dedication to enhancing transparency in District Governing Board meetings. At the March 19, 2024 Governing Board meeting, he successfully persuaded the Board, with the assistance of the Governing Board attorney, to include a single line on the agenda, informing Yavapai County residents that the meeting would be live-streamed.

Mr. Sigafoos received support in his endeavor to persuade the Board to include the notification from Board Attorney Lynne Adams. She applauded Sigafoos’ request, recognizing it as a “great idea” that would significantly enhance the “transparency” of Board meetings.

Initially hesitant, Chair Deb McCasland eventually embraced the suggestion and joined the rest of the Board in unanimously consenting to add the one-line notification to the Agenda when it is published.

Kudos to the longest-serving member of the Board for advocating openness and transparency in Governing Board meetings!

It is noteworthy that Mr. Sigafoos was able to persuade the Governing Board to begin live-streaming the Board meetings in February, 2024 after they were cut off in January by President Dr. Lisa Rhine.  Dr. Rhine appears to be a strong opponent of transparency when it comes to the streaming Governing Board meetings.

The three finalists are: Dr. Jack Dillenberg of Jerome, Mrs. Stephanie Harrison of Sedona, and Mr. Toby Payne of Clarkdale; Cathy Ransom from Cottonwood didn’t make final cut;  winner to be announced March 10

Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter has announced the finalists to fill the Third District Yavapai Community College Governing Board seat. They are Dr. Jack Dillenberg of Jerome, Mrs. Stephanie Harrison of Sedona, and Mr. Toby Payne of Clarkdale; Cathy Ransom from Cottonwood didn’t make the final cut;  winner to be announced March 10.

The following is a portion of Mr. Carter’s press release regarding the selection:

As has been the historical precedent for community college appointments, Superintendent Carter has appointed a five (5) member Candidate Review Committee. Committee members reside in District 3. The committee is made up of a taxpayer, a faculty member, a student, an elected official, and a person who works in the area of workforce development.

The committee met on Tuesday, February 28^th in Cottonwood to review letters of interest, resumes, and letters of recommendation. The committee drafted a set of questions to be used for the interviews and determined three finalists who will be interviewed in Sedona on March 6^th.

The candidates are listed in alphabetical order:

Dr. Jack Dillenberg of Jerome. Bachelor of Science from Tulane University, Masters Degree in Public Health from Harvard and Doctorate at New York University, College of Dentistry. Previous Assistant Director and Director with both the Arizona and California Department of Health Services and Dean Emeritus of the A.T. Still’s University’s Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health. Former Mayor of Jerome. Serves on the Arizona State Supreme Court Attorney Discipline Committee.

Mrs. Stephanie Harrison of Sedona. Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion University in Dental Hygiene and a Masters of Arts in Health Services Management from Webster University. Previous administrative work with both Delta College and the Community College of Denver, holding several senior leadership positions. Currently working part time with Dr. Whetman’s Dental Office in Sedona. She and her husband enjoy an active lifestyle. She is active with several outdoor groups.

Mr. Toby Payne of Clarkdale. A native of Phoenix. Attended Phoenix College. As an entrepreneur, founded Stage Sound and began touring with Andy Williams, Sammy Davis Jr., Waylon Jennings, etc. Designed and supplied the sound system for The Papal Visit at ASU. Clients include major sports arenas and churches of all sizes. Served on the Cave Creek Unified School District Governing Board, serving as President twice. Married 41 years. Member Clarkdale-Verde Kiwanis Club.

Members of the public from District 3, will have an opportunity to email their views of the candidates to Mr. Carter ([email protected]) or to meet personally with him for a 10-minute meeting from noon to 4 pm on Thursday, March 9^th at the Sedona Campus of Yavapai College. The meetings will be on a first come, first basis. Prior to making the final selection, the Superintendent will also meet separately with each of the currently seated Yavapai College Board Members for their input on the finalists.

The appointment should be announced by Friday, March 10th. The term begins upon taking the Oath of Office on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 and will be valid through December 31, 2024.  To continue beyond that date, the successful candidate will need to run for the seat in the 2024 general election for a new six-year term beginning January 1, 2025. If you have any questions, please call Mr. Carter at 928-925-6560 (cell).

Board convenes at 1:00 p.m. and anticipates ending sometime around 4 p.m.

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a study session and business meeting at the Community College’s Chino Valley Center on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, beginning  at one P.M.   The Chino Valley Center is located at 2275 Old Home Manor Drive Chino Valley, Arizona 86323

There will be an Open Call to the public prior to the business meeting around 1:00 p.m.  At the Open Call members of the public may address the Board for up to three minutes.

Members of the Governing Board are not supposed to discuss or take legal action on matters raised during an Open Call to the public unless the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action. A citizen wishing to address the Board should complete a “Request to Speak” form, and give it to the Recording Secretary. The speaker should be prepared to limit his or her remarks to the designated time (at noted above, usually three minutes).

Under Arizona law, the public has a right to attend, listen, tape record, or videotape these meetings. The public may not disrupt, but may speak during the call to the public at the beginning of this meeting if the call is on the agenda. See Ariz. Att’y Gen. Op. No. I78-001.

The full agenda for the afternoon  meeting can be found on the Community College web site, which you can reach by clicking here. 

Among the items to be presented are “Chino Valley Program Highlights” and “3D Concrete Printing at Yavapai College.”

The agenda will be posted on the Governing Board website

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board has scheduled a budget workshop for Friday, February 24 to begin at 9:00 a.m. on the Prescott Campus at the Rock House.  The Governing Board web page says the workshop is scheduled to run until 4:00 p.m.

Under Arizona law, the public has a right to attend, listen, tape record, or videotape these meetings. The public may not disrupt, but may speak during the call to the public at the beginning of this meeting if the call is on the agenda. See Ariz. Att’y Gen. Op. No. I78-001. Normally, the Governing Board does not provide a call to the public at these meetings.  But check the agenda when it is posted.

The full agenda for the afternoon  meeting can be found on the Community College web site when it is eventually posted.

It appears clear from January 2023 Board Workshop that a preferred outcome for many on the Governing Board and the Prescott based Community College executives would be a District  representative who quietly brushes under the table the inequitable treatment afforded  Sedona and Verde Valley when it comes to major development, programming, and expenditures

Editor Robert Oliphant

OPINION. With the resignation of Paul Chevalier, the effort is under way to find a replacement for him.  It is clear to most observers of Governing Board meetings over the past four years that there is a  preferred outcome among the Board and Prescott based executives when it comes to the next Third District representative. First, there’s a strong preference for a Representative  who will appropriately rubber stamp anything proposed by the Prescott-based Community College executives that comes before the District Governing Board for approval. 

Second, there’s a similar strong preference for a Representative who will not raise embarrassing questions during Governing Board meetings about the domination of Prescott in the operation of the Community College.   Third, there is a preference for a Representative who will not speak critically to the press, local political leaders,  or the public the Representative represents,  about the direction the Community College is taking in Sedona and the Verde Valley.

If you need proof about these preferences, spend some time reviewing the Workshop held by the District Governing Board on January 31.  It’s easily available.  You can view it by clicking  DGB Workshop (panopto.com).

Once appointed, should the new Representative appear to be stepping out of line, the Board has tools ready to bring the Representative back in-line. One of those tools is peer pressure. Something the Board has used to try and quelch Paul Chevalier’s advocacy for the last four years. If that doesn’t work, the Prescott-area dominated Governing Board will resort to applying and enforcing new Governing Board policies. They  have been specifically tailored to protect Prescott Community College interests from significant critical public disclosure relating to operations or inequitable treatment of areas outside Prescott. 

These tools are poised and ready because the District Board members and College executives fear having another strong advocate in the mold of Mr. Chevalier appointed. The fear is  a result of Mr. Chevalier’s persistent championing of Sedona and the Verde Valley during Board meetings.  It is also a result of his courageous revelations to the public during his tenure about the extraordinary inequitable treatment the east side of the County has received at the hands of the majority west side Governing Board and Prescott based College executives.   

It is clear that the College Administration and the west county Board members want to put an end to being constantly reminded of the enormous inequity in treatment and operation between the two sides of Mingus Mountain.

Chevalier exposed the inequity in such matters as the use of taxpayer money along with an almost total absence of  programming in many  areas on the east side of the County including aviation, athletics, music and the performing arts. He questioned the nonexistence of residence halls, athletic facilities, and  major cultural events on the east side of the County while all these  were exploding  on the west side of the County. It made him extremely  unpopular with the Board and the College executives.

Recall that the Prescott based Community College executives even refused on occasion to provide Mr. Chevalier with detailed information about plans for future Community College development in the Verde Valley and Sedona — forcing him to resort to Arizona’s Open Meeting law to obtain the information.  Also recall that he often asked that matters brought to the Board’s attention by the public during the call to the public be discussed by the Board. He was consistently rebuffed in those efforts. 

At times Mr. Chevalier was sternly lectured about never talking about operations, never speaking out critically of a Governing Board decision, never talking to students or faculty, and never talking with the press. He was admonished during one meeting, for example, for a truthful public comment he made about the lack of Community College involvement with  Camp Verde. 

If history is any teacher of what is ahead, the final appointment for the remaining two years of Mr. Chevalier’s seat will be made by County Education Superintendent Tim Carter. He just did this for the District five seat.  Recall that Mr. Carter, with a small committee, back in 2016  selected a third District representative who had not even lived in the area for one year to replace long-time resident Al Filardo on the Board. The appointment was made despite the fact that a candidate from Sedona, who was intimately  knowledgeable about the Community College and had lived in the area for several years, was rejected.  That 2016 appointment was a “safe” milk-toast appointment. Once in office, there was no rocking of the boat being captained by Prescott interests during the next two years.  (Chevalier ran a spirted campaign for the seat that ousted that person in 2018.)

So, goodbye to courage and serious openness when it comes to Yavapai Community College.  And goodbye to seriously enhancing the educational needs of the Verde Valley and Sedona. The College PR department will talk a good game over the next two years, the word “transparency” will be repeatedly heard, while College executives and the west county majority on the Board simultaneously ensure that Prescott interests are protected from public exposure to any criticism.

 Sedona and the Verde Valley will fade into the background and experience another period of little major development or programming. The most the 70,000 residents on the east side of Mingus Mountain can expect is receipt of leftover scraps from the Governing Board banquet table while  the main meal with all the trimmings remains ready to be devoured by Prescott interests.

Let us hope with the next District Three appointment that I can be proven totally wrong!