The Yavapai College District Governing Board unanimously voted for Ms. Deb McCasland to continue as Board Chair at its board workshop meeting on Tuesday morning at the Yavapai College Career.

The chair election is for a two-year term through the 2024 calendar year.

“It is an honor to continue to serve as Chair of the Board,” said McCasland. “I look forward to continuing the work our Board and President, Dr. Lisa Rhine, have done to ensure that our students and communities have the opportunity to experience all of the amazing things that YC has to offer inside and outside the classroom.”

An alumna of YC, McCasland has served on the YC District Governing Board since 2014. Before her time on the Board, McCasland spent 34 years as an employee of the College as the Student Activities Director, Community Events Director, and the Director of Major Gifts before retiring in 2010.

McCasland has served as Board Chair since 2020.

Mr. Chris Kuknyo was unanimously elected to serve as Board Secretary. It will be Kuknyo’s first stint in a leadership position with the YC District Governing Board, and his term as secretary will run through the 2024 calendar year.

Kuknyo has served the community in many ways, including Chairman of the board for the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce, Board Member of the Prescott Valley Economic Development Foundation, Mayor Pro-Tem Prescott City Council, Board Member of the Prescott Downtown Partnership, Chairman of the Board Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization, Secretary of the Yavapai County Industrial Development Authority, President of the Citizens Tax Committee, and President and co-founder Prescott AZ- Zeitz Germany sister city group.

He has served on the YC District Governing Board since 2020.

The Chair and Secretary are nominated and voted on by the Board members.

The Board's role is to act as a link between the taxpayers and management, directing and regulating the organization on the taxpayers' behalf. While Board members are elected by the voters of Yavapai County, they make decisions in the best interest of the taxpayers as a whole.

McCasland currently represents District 2, which includes Agua Fria, Beaver Creek, Camp Verde 1 and 2, Black Canyon City, Cherry Creek, Cordes Lakes, Cornville, Crown King, Humboldt, Mayer, Middle Verde, Montezuma, Prescott Country Club, Stoneridge, Sugarloaf, and Verde Lakes.

Kuknyo represents District 4, which includes Antelope, Ashfork, Big Chino, Camp Wood, Chino Valley 1 and 2, Country Park, Cougar, Coyote Springs, Deep Well, Drake, Granite, Perkinsville, Pinon Oaks, Sandretto, Seligman, Shadow Valley, Spruce, Williamson Valley, West Chino, and Willow.

More information on the Yavapai College District Governing Board can be found at www.yc.edu/dgb.