A Pima Community College executive who recently left with a $150,000 settlement received a positive job review six weeks before she quit, public records show.
Former Provost Erica Holmes, accused by faculty of chaotic decision-making that demoralized the academic workforce, is described as an “asset” to the college in her recent performance evaluation by PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert.
The Arizona Daily Star recently obtained, through a public-records request, the performance reviews of Holmes and seven other senior administrators who make up the chancellor’s Cabinet.
The executives themselves wrote most of the material in lengthy self-assessments describing their achievements. Lambert added a two-paragraph comment at the end of each review.
“Erica has been an important addition to the senior executive leadership team,” Lambert wrote of Holmes, the college’s third provost in three years.
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Holmes, “hit the ground running” when she arrived in mid-2014 and made “important and positive changes to the way the provost office functions,” Lambert said in the Aug. 12 performance review.
On Sept 25, Holmes abruptly announced she was leaving PCC for undisclosed “personal reasons.” Lambert agreed to pay her roughly the balance owing on her $179,000 annual contract, which the chancellor had recently renewed.
Holmes’ departure followed complaints from faculty made at a Sept. 9 meeting of PCC’s Governing Board.
Other Cabinet members also received positive evaluations from Lambert, the records show.
College attorney Jeff Silvyn, whose erroneous legal advice recently put PCC in violation of the state’s open meeting law, was described by Lambert as “an invaluable advisor.
“His knowledge of the law coupled with a thoughtful, approachable and reasonable style allows him to be effective in addressing concerns,” the chancellor wrote.
Lambert declined further comment Friday on the evaluations he gave his subordinates.
The executive narratives provide a glimpse of the difficulties of working for the college, which has been under sanction by its accreditor since 2013 and has until next year to finish fixing shortcomings in developmental education, human resources and several other areas.
“My first six months here at Pima Community College has been, without a doubt, the most challenging transition into an HR leadership role that I have ever experienced,” wrote human resources boss Dan Berryman, who started work at PCC in February with more than 20 years of experience.
“The college has obviously been through a challenging period on so many different levels and it continues to struggle with all of the needed changes taking place,” Berryman wrote.
Lambert said through a spokesperson that a task force of PCC employees has been working on a new performance-appraisal system for administrators.
“But frankly,” he said, “there are many more urgent matters for the college to focus on right now.”
