By J.D. Rottweiler, Ph.D.
It would be easy to lump all community colleges into the same category. Most of the more than 1,200 such colleges offer technical training and provide an affordable foundation for students seeking to transfer to a university. But community colleges are not all the same. Their unique governance model helps distinguish them.
Community colleges are truly American-made institutions. Community colleges reflect the democratic ideal of America as a land of equal opportunity for all people. They are community (i.e. a county or city) based, serving the citizens of their region and acting as a community leader. A locally elected – and connected – governing board is key to the college’s role in their community and naturally lends itself to community responsiveness. The community college system is the only higher education sector led by locally elected officials. It’s practical in meeting the specific needs of local communities, whether they are technological or health-related, as they are here in Cochise County.
Five elected community leaders serve as champions of Cochise College. Dennis Nelson, David DiPeso, Danny Ortega, Tim Quinn, and Jane Strain make up the college Governing Board. They represent five sections of the county, divided by population and diverse in needs and expectations. Though some were appointed to fill seats left vacant mid-term, a full term is six years – no minor commitment on their part.
The board’s role goes beyond attending monthly meetings. There is, of course, a significant level of reading and preparation that goes into those. In addition, they keep abreast of relevant local, state and national issues. They consider best practices and how they could be implemented at Cochise. They represent the college at a myriad of community functions. And they advocate for the college among individual legislators and governing bodies. They are, literally, the liaison with the community, in whom the community has placed their trust as a college “trustee.”
These dedicated trustees participate with peers governing other community colleges in organizational, governance, and training opportunities at the state and national levels. There is an entire organization – the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) – devoted to educating governing boards; ACCT represents more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees overseeing community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States and beyond. It is a major voice to the presidential administration, U.S. Congress, the Departments of Education and Labor and more.
Dennis Nelson of Naco serves as board chair. A retired tribal judge and active Bisbee volunteer, he has taken particular interest in the needs of Adult Education students. Mr. Nelson represents Precinct 5, which also includes Tombstone, Hereford, Palominas and Naco. His term ends in 2019, and he can be reached at nelsondl@cochise.edu.
David DiPeso of Benson has a long history with the college. He is a 1973 graduate, and his father Charles previously served on the board. Mr. DiPeso also is a local businessman. He represents the geographically dispersed Precinct 1, which includes the northern half of the county. He is the immediate past chair and current secretary of the board. His term expires in 2021, and he can be reached at david.dipeso@cochise.edu.
Danny Ortega, one of the newest board members, represents Precinct 2, stretching from the southeast corner of Cochise County to just north of Apache and west of Elfrida, McNeal and Double Adobe. Ortega is a 1982 alum and local businessman, as well as the outgoing mayor of Douglas. He serves through 2017 and can be reached at ortega520@cochise.edu.
Tim Quinn, a retired U.S. Army Military Intelligence colonel, has previous experience on the Fort Huachuca Accommodation Schools board, where he has served as president. Representing Precinct 4, the most heavily populated portion of Sierra Vista, he also helps provide military perspective on college issues. He was appointed to fill a vacated seat through 2017 and can be reached at timjquinn@cochise.edu.
Jane Strain previously served as chair and secretary of the board. She was first appointed in 1998, elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2006 and 2012. She has served as board liaison to state community college governance organizations. Always interested in board governance issues, she has taken an active role with ACCT. Mrs. Strain’s term expires in 2019. She can be reached at jane@cochise.edu.
Recently, Cochise College received the maximum 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, the gold standard in regional accreditation. As the site team noted, the college is fortunate to have the leadership of such a diverse group of dedicated community members. Cochise College, as a community college, is connected to its communities because of their active participation. I couldn’t agree more!
J.D. Rottweiler is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.