After nearly a decade of serving the voters of Yavapai College’s District 3, Paul Chevalier announced last week that he was stepping down from the governing board, in no small part because it was his 84th birthday, thereby clearing the path for someone younger to fill his shoes.
With regard to Yavapai Community College, Chevalier’s shoes will be tough to fill.
Chevalier began as a gadfly, fighting on behalf of the taxpayers in District 3 to claw back some of the millions of Verde Valley tax dollars Yavapai College was spending on the Prescott side of Yavapai County, drastically shortchanging us in the process. They were cutting programs, culling classes, terminating staff, threatening to sell facilities and forcing Verde Valley students to trek over Mingus Mountain just to attend community college, which is simply ridiculous considering that the Verde Valley has only one quarter of the county’s population but provides one third of the college’s tax revenue.
Most nefariously, the college deliberately short-changed the marketing for its Verde Valley programs — like Sedona’s award-winning Zaki Gordon Institute for Independent Filmmaking — so students wouldn’t know to enroll, then claimed those programs needed to be cut because no students wanted to enroll. Remember? That’s how the college killed it here in the hope of moving it to Prescott. Instead, it moved to a college in Virginia.
As a government-owned and government-managed community college, Yavapai College is legally, ethically and financially obligated to serve all taxpayers as equally and fairly as possible.
Some Verde Valley residents don’t mind the drive to Prescott, just as others don’t mind the drive to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. But when a local college has permanent revenue in the form of local dollars and the existing facilities to provide classes here, it’s a slap in the face to us to cut those programs and force students to commute to obtain an associate’s degree or learn trade skills. This is especially true considering that many local students are already working full-time or part-time jobs or have families to take care of.
Community college students choose a community college for its proximity and low costs. Once a community college can no longer offer either, it ceases to be of benefit to the public and its raison d’etre no longer exists.
Chevalier understood this. When being a simple agitator at governing board meetings wasn’t enough for him, he joined the newly formed Verde Valley Board Advisory Council, which pressed the board for more accountability and fair treatment.
Chevalier and former governing board member Bob Oliphant — who runs the Eye on Yavapai College newsletter and website — became the largest thorns in the side of then-college President Penny Wills and several Prescott-area board members.
When Wills and the board falsely claimed that the college’s Verde Valley mission was complete, they dissolved the VVBAC to sideline Chevalier and thwart his efforts.
Yet silencing the loudest voice in a democracy rarely works. Undeterred, Chevalier instead ran for the college board, winning the District 3 seat and seeking to change policy from the top rather than the bottom.
She stepped down due in no small part due to her poor reputation and serious unanswered questions about her leadership skills.
With Wills gone and a newly-elected Chevalier joining the governing board, the other members of the board assumed that if they belittled Chevalier and the Verde Valley in meetings, ignored his questions, refused to provide the documents he asked for and refused to comply with his public records requests, he would eventually bow to the pressure and become a loyal soldier. After all, that abuse has worked to terrorize other board members into failing to stand up for their constituents.
Chevalier declined to comply and continued to fight for us Yavapai County taxpayers.
With his departure, the Verde Valley has lost our lone stalwart defender on the governing board.
We implore anyone who wants to fight to bring college programs back to the Verde Valley, support our students, grow our tax base, manage our tax dollars and improve our local economy to apply for the open seat and carry on Chevalier’s legacy.
It won’t be easy. Prescott board members are condescending and dismissive of anything that benefits the Verde Valley. The board is entrenched in their positions and in their belief that what’s good for Prescott is good for the county as a whole, facts and public opinion be dammed.
If you’re someone who believes in good governance and accountability, we encourage you to apply. The Verde Valley deserves a fighter of Chevalier’s caliber. We hope you can continue to fight for us.
Christopher Fox Graham
Managing Editor
Apply to fill Paul Chevalier’s District 3 seat on the Yavapai College District Governing Board
Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter has announced a vacancy on the Yavapai College District Governing Board for District 3 (Sedona and the surrounding area). A map and general geographical areas within the district are above.
The opening was created by the resignation of Board Member Paul Chevalier, who left the Yavapai College Board on January 30, 2023, by stating “today I turned 84 and, while my health is good, this is the moment for me to step down and let someone younger take my position. I am therefore resigning my position with the Board effective today”. We appreciate the service that Mr. Chevalier provided to the community college district and wish him the very best in the future.
If you are interested in filling the vacancy, send a letter of interest and a resume to Carter, Yavapai County School Superintendent, Yavapai County Education Service Agency, 2970 Centerpointe East, Prescott, AZ 86301, Fax 928-771-3329, Email: Tim.Carter@yavapaiaz.gov. Please include information about yourself, including family, education, and work experience, why you would like to be a board member, your residence and mailing address, your email address, and home/work phone numbers. Candidates may include up to three letters of recommendation of support if they wish.
To be eligible to hold this seat a person must; be a registered voter who resides in District 3, be a citizen of the United States of America, be at least 18 years of age, possess their civil rights, and they or their spouse cannot be employed by the college district. This is a non-partisan seat and the appointment will reflect that statutory requirement.
Deadline for receipt of letters of interest, resumes and letters of recommendation is Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 5 p.m. As has been the historical precedent for community college appointments, Superintendent Carter will make use of a five (5) member Candidate Review Committee. Committee members will reside in District 3. They will review letters of interest, resumes, and letters of recommendation. The committee will be made up of a taxpayer, a faculty member, a student, an elected official, and a person who works in the area of workforce development. The committee will decide who to interview, establish interview questions, interview the selected candidates on March 6th, and select candidates for consideration by Mr. Carter. Prior to making the final selection, the Superintendent will meet separately with each of the currently seated Yavapai College Board Members for their input on the finalists.
Members of the public from District 3, will also have an opportunity to email their views of the candidates to Mr. Carter or to meet personally with him for a 10-minute meeting from noon to 4 pm on Thursday, March 9th at the Sedona Campus of Yavapai College after the finalists have been announced. The meetings will be on a first come, first basis.
The appointment should be announced by Friday, March 10th. The term begins upon taking the Oath of Office on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 and will be valid through December 31, 2024. To continue beyond that date, the successful candidate will need to run for the seat in the 2024 general election for a new six-year term beginning January 1, 2025. If you have any questions, please call Mr. Carter at 928-925-6560 (cell).
