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from the president
I recently received and read the 2014 Annual Re- port of the Yavapai College (YC) District Governing Board (DGB). This five-member Board, elected from geographic districts encompassing all of Yavapai County, works with YC President Dr. Penny Wills to: 1) deliver quality higher education; 2) support eco- nomic development, and; 3) provide vibrant cultural opportunities for the “owners” of Yavapai College, the citizens of Yavapai County.
Even in my capacity as President of the Yavapai College Foundation (YCF) Board, I did not fully appreciate the quality, strength, and stability of our outstanding community college. For example, from a statistically reliable survey conducted by the DGB in 2014, 82% of County residents agree that YC makes the County a better place to learn, to work, and to live. I was pleased to also see that YC’s costs (ex- penses) per student are at or below the average for community colleges across the nation. The College provides credit and non-credit options for students
to access courses and programs ranging from Adult Basic Education to career preparation, transfer to uni- versities, and personal enrichment. The new Regional Economic Development Center provides outreach and services to assist in building a diverse and resil- ient local economy for Yavapai County residents. Fi- nally, the quality of life in the communities served by YC is enriched by the access the institution provides to cultural events. To that end, the College’s calendar is loaded with cultural opportunities in the areas of the performing arts, athletics, music and art.
I am most impressed that YC has been able to con- tinually improve the quality of its educational oppor- tunities for students while facing steadily declining financial support from the State of Arizona. In this fiscal year, funding from the state accounts for only about 1% of the College operating budget. And de- spite these severe state budget cuts, the DGB has not increased the community college property tax levy for the past two years.
These facts illuminate for me the importance of the role YCF plays in support of Yavapai College. This role is further highlighted by several stories in this issue
of Focus—including the cover story on the intersec- tion of tech ed and economic development, and the story on page 12 about some terrific new certificate programs.
Through our awareness building and fundraising efforts, we provide a margin of excellence for the College that would otherwise not be available. We provide funding for capital needs, such as the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center (see page 4) and Southwest Wine Center. Most important to me, we provide scholarship funding for hundreds of students each year to help them realize their educational goals; and we are building an educational endowment that will provide the College with funding and stability over the long haul.
For those of you who have previously made gifts to YCF, I thank you! If you haven’t done so, I urge you to consider us in your philanthropic efforts. We will invest your money in Yavapai College, in accordance with your wishes, to create a better community.
Perry Massie
YCF Board President
www.yc.edu/ycf • SPRING 2015 1