Demion Clinco has been selected to fill the District 2 vacancy on the Pima Community College Board of Governors left by David Longoria’s resignation on October 19, 2015.
State law requires that the Pima County School Superintendent fill any vacancy on the board of Pima Community College (PCC). Clinco will begin his service to District 2 upon taking the oath of office and will serve on the Board through December 31, 2016.
The District 2 Board Seat will be on the November 2016 General Election ballot for a regular, six-year term.
Clinco is currently President and Executive Director of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation. He previously served as a member of the Arizona State House of Representatives for Legislative District 2. During his tenure in the Arizona State House Clinco was the only openly LGBT member.
According to a press release issued by Pima County School Superintendent Linda Arzoumanian the selection committee “was impressed by Mr. Clinco’s knowledge of Pima Community College’s financial background, his desire to be directly involved in working with the students and his wish to continue developing transparency about PCC with the community. A goal Mr. Clinco expressed in his interview was the need to continue developing systems that will help PCC move away from being “on notice” from the Higher Learning Commission.”
Members of C-FAIRR have been concerned bout the diversity at the College, both in it’s staffing and in the makeup of the Board of Governors (BOG). They say that because over 40 percent of the College’s enrollment is Mexican-American students; and 52 percent of District 2 residents are Mexican American, the lack of Mexican-American appointments to the Governing Board disconcerting. C-FAIRR informed Arzoumanian of these statistics, along with their concerns.
The group hopes that Clinco understands the reasons why the College was placed on probation and remains “on notice” and what it will take to get the College off of the lesser sanction by the HLC. They also hope that Clinco can help the College in being more transparent. They expect Clinco to listen to community’s concerns and take action to alleviate them as opposed to the reluctance they have witnessed from some current College administrators and sitting Board members.
The fact that he is a member of the crony controlled Southern Arizona Leadership Council likely played a big part in Arzoumanain supporting him.