Local Opinion: PCC needs Clinco, Taylor to continue building strong college

As three former Pima Community College Governing Board members who hired Lee Lambert as Chancellor in 2013, we want you to know how critical next month’s election is for PCC’s future.

When we offered Chancellor Lambert the job in 2013, PCC was in crisis. After years of many serious challenges, the college was on the verge of losing its accreditation. Lee led PCC out of this dismal period and introduced a bright new vision for what Pima could be — a vision that has become a reality.

He didn’t do this alone. The Governing Board played a critical role in shaping and actualizing this transformational change — and for the last seven years, Demion Clinco served on the Board and as chair for the majority of this time. Clinco, who is seeking reelection, understands the importance of effective governance, collaborative leadership, and financial responsibility.

Under the Board and Chancellor Lambert’s leadership, Pima is now home to Centers of Excellence in health care, aviation, automotive, applied technology and cyber security that are training Southern Arizonans for the jobs of tomorrow. The college has developed innovative partnerships with our leading employers such as Raytheon, IBM, Caterpillar, and area hospitals; strengthened partnerships with the U of A, NAU, and ASU so students can more easily transfer; and strengthened Adult Basic Education so more members of our community can obtain high school equivalent diplomas.

Lambert and the Board grew the high school dual-enrollment program, which is now up 26%, and total PCC enrollment is up 9% this Fall. PCC has also received numerous national accolades; it was named one of the top five employers in Arizona by Forbes and Harvard University recently selected PCC as one of the top five community colleges in the U.S.

Since Lambert’s arrival in 2013, a handful of individuals have conspired to stop this positive change. This anti-progress, destructive faction has successfully installed two members on the PCC Board: Maria Garcia and Luis L. Gonzales. Garcia and Gonzales have not only continually called for Lambert’s resignation but have also worked to undermine the progress of the Board, by making unsubstantiated, and disproven allegations against Lambert and their fellow Board Members. Garcia and Gonzales have admitted to being admonished by the Arizona Attorney General for violating open meeting laws. Garcia and Gonzales are backed by community members Mario Gonzales and his brother Luis A. Gonzales.

The Gonzales brothers are a broken record and continue to spread a false narrative that PCC has violated laws and not followed procedures. This motive is specifically concocted to affect the outcome of next month’s election — and secure more representation on the Board. They recently held a press conference calling yet again for Chancellor Lambert’s resignation presenting disproven allegations, hearsay, and untruths.

Unfortunately, KOLD and the Arizona Daily Star have provided extensive coverage that the college is in trouble due to leadership failures, but never obtained evidence from the Gonzales brothers that their allegations are true. Why after a decade of success, is PCC suddenly purported to be mired in controversy? We are here to tell you what they have said is simply not true — it is a politically motivated falsehood meant to foster distrust of PCC’s leadership.

As voters, you will decide if the progress made at Pima over the last decade is able to proceed, or if it comes to a screeching halt.

That is why we are asking you to support Governing Board candidates who will keep PCC on the right track and ensure it is affordable, accessible and accountable. Current Board member Demion Clinco (District 2) and Greg Taylor (District 4) understand that in order to have a strong economy, we need an educated workforce and a strong college. Pima is a critically important asset to Tucson and Southern Arizona. It’s on the right track — please vote for Clinco and Taylor.