Valerie Wood first ever Foundation president from Verde Valley; Yavapai Apache Nation Jane Russell-Winiecki added plus three others (18% of members from Verde Valley not including nine emeriti who are all from Prescott area)
For the first time in the history of the Yavapai Community College Foundation the east region of the County will have five members on the 27 member Board. Valerie Wood, who became president of the Board for 2019-20 is the first person from the Verde Valley to hold that position. The Yavapai-Apache Nation is finally represented on the Board by Jane Russell-Winiecki. Other members added from the Verde Valley include Kirk Koch, President, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center, Joan Meyers Founder of the Southwest Wine Center and coordinator of the volunteers for the auxiliary, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center, and former Cottonwood mayor Diane Joens.
In addition to the 27 members of the Board, there were also nine emeriti members selected this year. All nine emeriti members are believed to be from the Prescott area of the County.
The following is a list of the membership. The east region of the County should have nine members from that area if the Foundation were considering Board representation based on population in the County. However, five members is a huge step from its past history one, two or three.
Yavapai Community College Foundation Board of Directors for 2019 – 2020 (27)
*Valerie Wood, President
Don Michelman, Immediate Past President
Cindy Nyman, First Vice President
Mike Rethman, Second Vice President
Bill Sonsin, Treasurer
Jeff Wasowicz, Secretary Jeff
Dr. Lisa Rhine, Yavapai College President
Anne Barton
Diane Drexler
Dr. Clint Ewell, YC Vice President of Administration & Finance
Tony Hamer
Hope Hyland, President, Friends of the Family Enrichment Center
Steve Irwin, District Governing Board Liaison
Rodney Jenkins, YC Vice President of Community Relations
*Diane Joens
Paul Kirchgraber, Executive Director YCF
*Kirk Koch, President, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center
Charles Leon
Dr. Patricia McCarver, District Governing Board Liaison
*Joan Meyers Founder of the Southwest Wine Center and coordinator of the volunteers for the auxiliary, Friends of the Southwest Wine Center
Bill Miller
Lenora Nelson
*Jane Russell-Winiecki, chairwoman, Yavapai-Apache Nation
Robert Schmitt
Marnie Uhl
Angela Walker-Weber
Phil Winkelstern
Board Members Emeriti FY 2019 – 2020 (9)
Frank Fitzgerald Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019
Pamela Haber Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019
Perry Massie Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019
Howard Moody Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019
Jean Phillips Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2010
Karen Rizk Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019
Oren Thompson Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019
Chuck Walker Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019
Richard Wright Board Member Emeritus, Conferred 2019
**Source: Yavapai Community College Foundation web site at https://www.yc.edu/v5content/yavapai-college-foundation/docs/board-bio.pdf.