By Talaina Kor The Navajo County Community College Governing Board convened Tuesday, Oct. 20, and heard a presentation by Executive Director of NPC Friends & Family Betsyann Wilson, regarding the efforts of two staff members to ease food shortages for students and their families. Wilson related that NPC staff member Steve Mills had noticed students at the Whiteriver campus were missing classes in order to work to buy groceries for their families. Mills teamed up with fellow staff member Gayle Campbell to help ease the burden on the students. “The two (Mills and Campbell) started an informal food pantry to supply nonperishable goods,” stated Wilson, “Their policy was simple: Take only what you need and when times are better, replace it.” The food pantry was a success and Campbell has made it a project of hers to create other food pantries at other campus areas as well. “We are trying to establish means to make tax deductible donations to food pantry,” said Wilson. “So, we are setting up the food pantry as a sort of restricted scholarships fund with NPC Friends & Family so that people can do that and we can support Campbell’s efforts to provide food around the district. Wilson added that there will be more information on the project at a later date. The board also heard from Vice President of Administrative Services Maderia Ellison regarding the NPC financial audit of NPC Friends & Family. Highlights from the report show assets increased by $65,779 due to donations to endowed scholarship funds including the Jon Graff PhD Scholarship Fund, the Claude Endfield Endowment, the Lisitzky Endowment, the Pres Winslow Memorial Scholarship fund, and the NPC Friends and Family Endowment. The total net assets also increased by $65,779 as a result of those increases. Total revenues decreased $35,569 due to a reduction in contributions of $40,724, which includes sponsorships for special events, due to the pandemic and a loss on investments. These losses were slightly offset by an increase in Special Events Revenue of $19,513, mostly from AZ Gives Day. Total expenses rose $20,432 due to increase in scholarships awarded $11,225, plus an increase of $9,207 in general operating expenses with the purchase of Chromebooks and hotspots in April. Overall, the cash position increased $65,779, due to the increase in restricted marketable securities. Ellison also reported on the NPC financial audits for the Northeast Arizona Training Center. Highlights of that report included total net assets increased $923,943, primarily due to receiving a Legislative appropriation of $1 million. Revenues also increased just over $1 million primarily due to that same appropriation. Total expenses increased $3,509, due to increases in depreciation and administrative expenses. In response to the resignation of NPC President Mark Vest earlier this month, the board passed a motion to direct the presidential search staff to research existing state contracts or presidential search firms and if they determine none is available a Request for Proposal be prepared and issued for a presidential search firm to determine qualifications and salary. The board entered executive session with college attorney in relation to a network security incident. Once they reconvened, the board passed the consent agenda which included the Sept. 15 meeting minutes and amendments to the TALON to Consortium IGA to include changes in course offerings and tuition costs.
