CCC board member resigns

CLOVIS — The Clovis Community College Board of Trustees will be operating as a four-person unit for the foreseeable future, with the resignation of longtime District 2 representative Arnold Martinez.

Trustees briefly discussed the resignation at their Wednesday meeting, and thanked Martinez for his long service.

Martinez, who was serving as board secretary, resigned Aug. 16. According to a letter he sent to President Charles Nwankwo, Martinez is relocating and will no longer be in the district.

“It has been a great and worthwhile experience serving on the Board of Trustees,” Martinez wrote. “I truly enjoyed it.”

Martinez was appointed to the board in December of 2004, coincidentally, after Charles Guthals moved out of the district.

Board Chair Lora Harlan wasn’t sure if the vacancy would be filled during the next regular meeting Sept. 6 or in a special meeting, but said the process would be done in a public forum.

Trustee Laura Leal nominated Terry Martin to take over as secretary, with Carolyn Spence seconding the motion. Harlan called for a vote after Martin said he was willing to take the position, and Martin abstained from the 3-0 vote.

In other business at the Wednesday meeting:

• President Charles Nwankwo told trustees fall enrollment at the college was up 3.4% over the fall 2020 semester.

“Although the increase is modest,” Nwankwo said, “it shows progress.”

He said the first day on Aug. 23 was an exciting day with more students taking face-to-face classes, but that the college remains aware of the continuing issues of COVID-19. The college will hold a vaccination clinic 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 9 in CCC Room 101.

Nwankwo also encouraged the public to attend a 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Sept. 14 forum on the college’s facilities master plan.

• Trustees heard a review of the Student Success Program from Director Emily Glikas, who introduced the board to two of the 264 people who used program services in the 2020-21 academic year.

Jessica Garcia, who dropped out of middle school, used the High School Equivalency program and plans to study nursing and culinary arts at the college level.

“This program is a blessing for adults like me who are looking to achieve their goals,” Garcia said.

Andrea Alves owned a small gym in Brazil, but as a Portugese speaker found difficulty transitioning after her husband took a job in Clovis. She is using the program’s English as a Second Language classes, and was the only person in her class whose native language isn’t Spanish. She said she was blown away to discover there was no charge for the program.

• Trustees approved a supplemental summer graduate list with 14 associate’s degrees and 12 certificates of achievement. The 26 new graduates bring the summer total to 117.

• Trustees received a report from Economic Modeling Specialists International on recent gap analysis in Curry and 12 surrounding counties.

The top five industry subsections in the area were local government, animal production and agriculture, federal government, food manufacturing and food service.

Trustee Carolyn Spence thanked college officials for seeking out such data, which was presented in a 131-page report.

“We can tell where there are some gaps in the ability to find people,” Spence said.

• The board appointed Stan Burmudez as user agency representative and May McVey as a student representative to the CCC Art Committee.

• The next meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 6 at CCC Room 512.