Yavapai Community College is offering senior citizens who are 65 and older a 50% discount on taking any credit classes. (Note exceptions below.) Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute donate more than $2,300
There were no grinches allowed on the Prescott and Verde Valley campuses this holiday season, thanks to the efforts of students, volunteers, and the Yavapai Community College Staff Association.
According to a Community College Facebook post, the group distributed “boxes galore” filled with food, gifts, and grocery gift cards to more than 50 Community College students and their families. The deliveries were made directly to the Prescott and Verde Valley campuses.
This heartwarming project was spearheaded by the Yavapai Community College Staff Association and made possible by the generosity of YCC employees, community members, and an army of volunteers.
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) contributed more than $2,300 to purchase grocery gift cards, while YCC family and friends helped fulfill children’s holiday wishes through an Angel Tree program.
Topics will likely include election of officers and a “refresher workshop” intended to impress upon members their extremely narrow window of responsibility, as seen by the Administration. Actual agenda not yet posted.
The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will hold a workshop meeting on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at the Rock House on the Prescott Campus. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and is expected to conclude around 4 p.m. A live stream of the meeting will most likely be available on YouTube.
The agenda for the workshop has not yet been published. However, it is anticipated to include the selection of District Governing Board officers and a “refresher workshop.” These workshops typically involve discussions aimed at emphasizing the Board members’ extremely limited authority as seen through the eyes of the Community College administration. These often include specific restrictions on whom members may communicate with and what they may disclose to their constituents. They also often include warnings against interfering with the College President’s management of the institution and an extremely narrow interpretation of Board policy, as outlined by a consultant selected by the chair with a past relationship with the Community College administration.
Members of the public are generally not permitted to speak during these workshop sessions. However, under Arizona law, the public has the right to attend, listen, record, or videotape the meeting, provided they do not disrupt the proceedings. For more information on these rights, refer to Arizona Attorney General Opinion No. I78-001.
Further updates, including the agenda, will be provided as they become available.
Event set for January 16 at 5:30. | It offers opportunities for an evening of networking, great food, and wine, hosted by the Southwest Wine Center and catered by the Sedona School of Culinary Arts. | Registration available at VerdeValleyChamber.org.
The Greater Verde Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold a mixer at the Southwest Wine Center on the Verde Valley Campus January 16. The event is hosted by the Southwest Wine Center and will be catered by the Sedona School of Culinary Arts. It begins at 5:30.
The event provides an opportunity to connect with fellow business professionals in the community while enjoying great food and wine at the Community College’s Southwest Wine Center on the Verde Valley Campus.
In the announcement of the event, the Chamber of Commerce stated that “Raffle prize donations are encouraged! Donating is a fantastic way to promote your business. Be sure to include your business card or rack card with your donation package.”
Registration for the event is available online at VerdeValleyChamber.org.
Classes begin February 3, 2025 with tuition set at $118
Yavapai Community College will offer a special landscape drawing class on the Verde Valley Campus starting February 3, 2025. This class is part of the College’s community education program.
The course provides an opportunity to learn how to draw landscapes, “from plains and forests to the red rocks and more.” It will run from February 3 to March 10, with tuition set at $118.
For more details, see the Community College advertisement below.
Five new instructors will teach acting, voice, and technical theatre courses at the Prescott Campus; it appears that no similar performing arts programs yet exist on the Verde Campus or at any of the College’s centers
In a December 19 press release, Yavapai Community College announced it has hired five new instructors for its expanding Performing Arts Department. They will be teaching acting, voice, and technical theatre courses. They will be joining the faculty in January.
According to the Community College press release, the following are the new faculty hires:
“Mezzo soprano Danielle Corella will teach both Private Voice (MUS 101A) and Applied Voice (MUS 151A) courses. An Arizona Opera veteran, Danielle sang the role of Gertrude in AzO’s Roméo et Juliette and Belle in their Opera Tunity production of Beauty and the Beast. She holds a Master of Music Degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Music from Westminster Choir College. She currently conducts YC’s Community Chorale.”
“Prescott Valley residents may know Ben Naasz from The Movement Studio, which he operates with his wife, Sasha. A talented actor, director, scenic designer and producer, Ben will draw from his 30-year theatrical career to teach Stagecraft (THR 141) and Lighting for the Stage and Media (THR 160). He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Technology (with an emphasis on Scenic Design) from the University of Arizona, and a BFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia.”
“With her Masters in Classical Acting from Brandeis University, where she taught movement and voice, Heather Scott earned her Meisner certificate from New York City’s Neighborhood Playhouse and is a certified theatrical combatant. Her professional credits include As The World Turns and multiple regional commercials as well as work with Disney Regional Entertainment. The co-director of the Yavapai College musicals It’s A Wonderful Life and Hello, Dolly!, Heather is also the J&LLPAC’s Director of Operations. She will teach the College’s Acting I (THR 131) and Acting II (THR 132) courses.”
“A dedicated educator and veteran actor, director, stage manager and producer, Layla Tenney is thrilled to bring her 20 years of theatrical experience to YC. She has been a prominent figure in the local arts community, teaching theatre at Prescott and Chino Valley high schools, where she directed numerous productions that inspired students and audiences alike. She has also been a creative force at the Prescott Center for the Arts since 2009, creating programs that support young artists. Layla has her Master of Arts in Theatre Education from the University of Northern Colorado, and her bachelor’s from the University of Arizona and will teach THR 231, Acting the One-Act Play.”
“Prescott-based baritone William Vallandigham is regularly featured on opera and concert stages in Arizona, Southern California and the greater Chicago area. In 2023-24, William sang Brahms and Mahler with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and appeared in Arizona Opera’s productions of Il barberie de Siviglia and Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He performed extensively with Opera Santa Barbara, with roles in The Crucible, Cosi fan Tutte, Carmen and the title role in Eugene Onegin. William’s career highlights range from Phillip Glass’s Kepler at the Spoleto Festival to orchestrated music from video game legend Nobuo Uematsu. William earned his master’s in music from Westminster Choir College, and his Bachelor of Music from Baldwin Wallace University. He will teach Musical Theatre I (THR 133) and Musical Theatre II (THR 134).”
Complete program that places rigorous academic, physical, and mental demands on its graduates
Yavapai Community College announced in a December 17 press release that 18 men and women graduated from the College’s Fire Academy. This was the second Yavapai Community College Fire Academy graduating class of this year.
Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine, when addressing the graduates, observed that “completing this program is no small feat. You have demonstrated unwavering commitment to a field that demands skill, resilience, and above all, a servant’s heart… Graduates, as you move forward, remember that you are part of a proud legacy of those who put others before themselves. I urge you to continue striving for excellence, to serve with integrity, and to always uphold the values that brought you to this point.”
Community College Director of Fire Science Robert Borker said in addressing the graduates that “caring and compassion” are the most important characteristics of first responders and he asked the graduates to treat the fire service like a national forest. “You take only pictures, leave only footprints and leave it better than you found it. If you do that, the fire service will take care of you if you take care of each other.”
Following are the graduates of YC Fire Academy Class 24-02:
Noah Allen, Jeremy Carroll, Rachel Dewees, Patrick Eyler, Austin Fradette, Korin Franks, Eric Jackson, Sunshine Johnson, Jordan Kelley, Joshua Kidwiler, Alexander King, Zachary Morgan, Tyler Petersen, Drew Peterson, Karl Samter, Henry Schulman, Benjamin Schwartz and Mason Taylor.
Payne completed the unexpired term of Paul Chevalier, will now hold office for six years; Kiel defeated long-time Board representative Ray Sigafoos in November
Toby Payne
Toby Payne and Bill Kiel were sworn in to office on December 18 by outgoing Yavapai County superintendent of schools Tim Carter. Payne will represent Yavapai Community College District #3 for six years while Kiel will represent District #4 for the same amount of time.
Payne was first sworn in as the District #3 Board representative for the Yavapai College District Governing Board on March 21, 2023 to fill the unexpired two-year term of Paul Chevalier, who resigned in January 2023. Kiel defeated long-time Governing Board member Ray Sigafoos in the November 2024 election.
Bill Kiel
Toby Payne is a second-generation Arizona native raised in Phoenix who spent twenty-five years in Cave Creek and Carefree. He spent thirty years as an entrepreneur in the audio-visual industry, as the founder of State Sound of Arizona, and also taught for ten years at the International Communications Industries Association Institute for Professional Development. Payne previously served on the Governing Board of the Cave Creek Unified School District and twice served as President of the Board.
He has worked with various non-profits and community groups for many years, including Arizona Town Hall, Kiwanis, site survey for the Mabery Pavilion on the Clarkdale campus of Yavapai College, the Growth Committee of the Clarkdale-Jerome School District, and the Verde Valley Amateur Radio Association.
Bill Kiel is a licensed Civil Engineer with 40 years of professional experience. He has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He has managed major construction projects ranging in cost between $4,000,000 – $90,000,000.
He has over three decades of service on non-profit Boards. He currently serves on the Highland Pines Water District Board and is enrolled in the Gunsmithing Program at Yavapai College. Kiel has pledged to improve transparency with a goal of increasing public access to information both at the Board and administration levels.
Considered a “milestone” in the nursing program
On December 13, Yavapai Community College celebrated the graduation of 52 nursing students at traditional pinning ceremonies held at the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on the Prescott Campus. The event also marked a milestone for the college as it recognized its first cohort of students to complete the Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.
In a press release, Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine described the ceremony as a “rite of passage,” honoring the nursing students for their “intense study, fortitude, diligence, and—as our graduates are well aware—sacrifice.” She also expressed gratitude to family members for “supporting and walking this journey with our students.”
The first recipients of a Yavapai College Bachelor’s degree in nursing are: Sirena Alvarez, Karen Black, Rhyann Davies, Michelle Diaz, Jennifer Doerksen, Amber Ewart, Shailee Hamm, Nicole M. Johnson, Starlett Morales, Aimee Olum, Emma Pundt, Aidan Raute, Gabriel Roybal, Jennifer Santoyo, Julia St. Pierre, Annalicia Stann, Nicole Welker and Clark White.
Following are the 52 student nurses and future RNs (following a national licensing exam) who earned associate of applied science degree in nursing at Yavapai Community College during the fall semester: Alexandra Alvarado, Katie Anderson, Gianmarco Anzelmo, Emily Armijo, Courtney Bauer, Sheron Brown, Karissa Buchanan, Morgan Castillo, Katelyn Chapman, Clay Crane, Jordyn Cromer, Caitlynn Dickinson, Madison Dowell, Joey Farley, Raechel Ferguson, Jenna Fields, Holly Forsberg, Destiny Gilpin, Sarah Gregory, Alexis Haidet, Sada Hendricks, Cheyenne Hull, Noi Jackson, Adam Johnson, Ronnie Kohlhauer, Kendall Kunick, Jennifer Leibin, Matthew Mabbitt, Nicolette Maestas, Hailey Mayhan, Aiden McCarter, Haydee Mesta, Brad Milan, Justin Miller, Geri Mills, Audrey Norman, Alejandro Ocampo, David Podkowa, Chloe Polacek, AJ Purinton, Kaylee Rhodes, Patricia Robinson, Kyla Rolfes, Eric Ross, Alister Rothrock, Katelyn Schield, Anna Sharp, Christine Teague, Jennifer Thomas, Alyssa Wasil, Christopher Wengerd, James Youngblood.
Front- page story suggests that free speech provisions in the Constitution and state legislation permit elected Board members to discuss community college matters with staff and faculty and openly speak to the community about college issues that concern them because it is in the public interest to do so
The Sedona Red Rock News published a front-page article on December 11, written by Tim Perry, that examines a controversial policy adopted by the outgoing lame-duck Yavapai Community College Governing Board at its November meeting, the last of the year. The article raises serious questions about whether the policy infringes on the rights of elected Board members to engage with staff, faculty, and the public on matters of public interest.
The new “code of conduct,” passed by the lame-duck Governing Board 4-1, explicitly restricts individual Board members from communicating with college employees. The policy states: “Under no circumstances should an individual board member direct or contact by any means a staff member concerning a college or community issue. Board members will refer all of their concerns and constituent concerns via email to the president to resolve or answer.”
Additionally, the code stipulates that “Board members do not speak to the press in any way that reflects negatively on their colleagues or the college.”
The Sedona Red Rock News article suggests that such provisions may amount to a “prior restraint” on speech, a concept that is frowned upon under constitutional free speech protections and state legislation. Legal experts argue that in general elected officials have a right—and indeed a duty—to meet with constituents, including staff and faculty, to gather information that is voluntarily offered. Such interactions are widely regarded as being in the public interest, particularly in matters concerning public institutions like Yavapai Community College.
The article’s focus underscores ongoing concerns about transparency and communication between the Yavapai Community College Governing Board, the college community, and the public at large.
You may read the entire article by clicking here: https://www.redrocknews.com/2024/12/11/ycc-president-attempts-to-seize-control-from-board/