Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 12:07 p.m.
Roll Call
Present: Canady,
Heywood, Holden, Jeffries, Pelleran, Rasmusson
Absent: None
Limited Public Comment Regarding Agenda Items
Glenn Kirk - I'm Glenn Kirk.
Board Chair Jeffries, other Board members, President
Cunningham. I want to
start out by saying I truly love this institution.
What a great, what a great hurl for the whole Lansing area, for
Lansing Community College is. I
hope that by my actions and my persona in the community and with the
interactions I show that because I try to promote Lansing Community
College throughout the area and within my business organization.
It speaks volumes to you, about you, and about the college and
should speak volumes to you about not only the number of candidates
that you had apply for this open position, but certainly the quality
of candidates that you have. I
obviously am going to speak for one of those candidates here today and
say this is the one that I support, but I would be hard pressed to
say, and here?s the one that I don't support.
You have very qualified people that are here today and your job
is not going to be easy. The
quality of people says a lot about the integrity of the organization,
but more importantly the integrity of the leadership that people see
who you are and want to be a part of it.
I want to speak about Marylou Mason today.
I want you to know that I fully support Marylou as a candidate
and as a member of this Board. If
I had to come up with one word to define Marylou Mason, it would be
?community.? She is a
community activist and yes, she has an agenda for the Hispanic
community and serves that agenda very well. But
more importantly Marylou is a person in the community for everyone in
the community. She cares
about everyone and her efforts and causes that she takes up is for
everyone. She cares,
she?s qualified. You
won?t find anybody that will work harder than Marylou for this
institution. And more
importantly, for me, Marylou is a collaborator at a time when we need
to find ways and be able to have conflict, but find ways to
collaborate. Marylou Mason
has proven that in that arena. So,
with that, she is my candidate that I support.
I'll say again, you have a tough job.
You got a great slate of candidates.
Thank you for your time.
Amy Hodgin - My name is Amy Hodgin.
Do I have an hour to talk?
I have to tell you that my life has not been easy.
First I was going to run because I've always?my dream has
been to run for this Board. I
call a friend of mine and I find out the name of the candidates and I
said, ?you don't belong there, there are so many people much more
qualified than you.? So, I withdrew my name, which hurt me so much.
Then I was driven here by a very good friend, who's Steve
Dougan. Who?s a very
good friend. that's why
I say my life is not easy because my births were all (inaudible.)
Perfect delivery, perfect pregnancies, all rich deliveries.
So, I have to make a choice between two very close friends.
And like Kirk just said, it's absolutely impossible to?you
have so many qualified candidates.
I am here to speak on behalf of Marylou Mason. She has been my
mentor. I admire immensely
as a woman, her work ethic, I know her family, very few people know
that she was a migrant herself. That
she picked crops, that she comes from a family, hard working family
that everything that she is and that she has in life nobody has handed
to her and she has earned it. She
helps anybody or everybody when there is a possibility of job
advancement whether the person is Hispanic or not.
As some of you that know me personally, I am Hispanic, but I
don't necessarily think that we should vote for someone that is
Hispanic because I think that is an insult to the Hispanic person
itself. So, I don't want
you to consider Marylou as the Hispanic activist although she is and
she is the best. But as
the woman that cares about Lansing, that cares about education, that
cares about all people. And
that should be the role of a Board member, not just a certain group.
And very few people have that ability to be like a chameleon to
blend everywhere and Marylou is a class act.
If I were to (inaudible), I don't know how she does it.
She is the busiest woman, she?s the most committed woman,
she?s always busy and she gives a million percent to every project
that is?that she is responsible or she?s been asked to chair.
So, I please ask you from the bottom of my heart to take
Marylou?s name into consideration.
She is an incredible human being.
She is a team player. No
ego. An incredible woman.
She is my mentor and she is one of the women that I certainly
admire the most. And so,
how is that I love Steve. And
please take me home, take me home.
He gave me a ride here and that's my life, I have to pick,
but you know what, I love you Steve.
And you guys have a tough job, like Kirk said, a very tough
job. But Marylou is just
the person that you need. She?s
incredible. Thank you very
much.
Cynthia Rooker - Hello, Board members.
My name is Cynthia Rooker.
I've been with the college for 15 years.
I've never come up here and spoke and I think Bruce Caradine
said at one time you never came until you were asked way in the past.
I felt that it was important to come for this event.
I am here with the spirit of my stepfather, George Mason and a
representative of my family as well.
I'm here to express my support for Marylou Mason who has been
extremely dedicated through her hours and time of working with
students, helping them, going out of her way constantly all the time
with education. Always
been very important. She?s
expressed that with her family over and over again with her
grandchildren, her nieces, nephews.
Always to make sure that their educated in one way or another
whether it's technical, two-year college, four-year college,
whichever, just so that they continue to go on.
And she?s always there and she?s always very supportive.
She?s always been very supportive.
She?s done a lot of things here at LCC.
I know she?s touched a lot of different areas.
I know she goes to the class for Diversity in the Workplace.
I had received some of her? the students had wrote about some
of the things that she talked about.
The students had to write a paper about it.
And I read over that and I had tears in my eyes just based on
what they said she had every student in that class just looking at her
and really listening to everything she was saying when she talked
about her life and what she does and how she?s gotten to where she
is. She?s an honest
person. She loves people.
I've always said she feeds off of other people.
She has to be around other people and she would be a real asset
to the college, to the Board here.
She?s a real leader. She?s
a true leader. There are
leaders and there are followers, and Marylou Mason is definitely a
leader in my eyes and in a lot of eyes within the community.
And she could do a lot in helping this college continue to go
forward with a number of changes that we've had and we're
continuing to go forward in such a positive way.
I?d like to see that continue with her on Board.
Amendment to Bylaw
Chairperson Jeffries stated that at the last
Board meeting Trustee Canady put forth an amendment to the bylaws that
would require a super majority or five members of this Board to make a
motion to amend the agenda after it has been set.
He said Cliff Flood, from Miller Canfield, provided an opinion,
which the Board received (it is on file with the official Board
materials.) The concern
was if there were any prohibitions under the community college act
that would prevent the Board from doing that.
Chairperson Jeffries stated that as he read the opinion
substantive issues couldn?t impose a super majority requirement.
For example, if the Board is passing a budget or take any
action they cannot do that by a super majority; however, for
procedural issues it is allowed.
Chairperson Jeffries asked for a roll call vote
on the motion to amend the Board's bylaws to require five votes to
amend an agenda at a Board meeting.
Roll call vote:
Ayes: Canady, Pelleran
Nays: Heywood, Holden,
Jeffries, Rasmusson
Absent: None
Motion failed due to lack of support.
Candidate Presentations
The following candidates had 10 minutes to give
the Board a presentation and answer questions. (All of the
presentations were recorded and are on file with the official Board
materials.)
Steven Dougan
Chris Laverty
Satnam Singh Bughra
Erin Marinez
Marylou Mason
A gentleman from the audience asked if he could
speak on behalf of Ms. Marylou Mason prior to the Board proceeding
with the selection process.
There was no objection from the Board.
Chairperson Jeffries gave the opportunity for the
public to speak on behalf of all of the candidates.
Terry Fobbs - Mr. Chair, Madame President,
members of the Board I appreciate this opportunity, my name is Terry
Palms. I want to apologize
for my appearance. I just
came back from weeks of military duty and I'm about to leave in
about an hour and a half to get on another airplane.
I'm responsible for mobilizing about 800 of my soldiers going
to harm?s way, so I took this time to come here and speak on
Marylou?s behalf. I've
known Marylou for a number of years and the thing that has really
impressed me about her is not only her drive.
She makes me tired just thinking about the schedule she keeps.
I'm a pretty busy person myself, but her involvement in the
community and her involvement with a variety of organizations has
brought so much good to the Lansing community and especially to this
good institution. And I
just want to say a few things. The
next member of your Board needs to be a person of commitment.
An individual who has demonstrated that they are willing to
take time, have the energy, the drive, and enthusiasm to reach out to
others and to make that commitment to stick by folks.
To stick by the organizations and make a difference.
And Marylou is that person.
The next Board member needs to be a person of compassion.
Compassion without being condescending.
Compassion with caring and concern.
Being able to roll up one?s sleeves and reaching out to
others to help them grow, to maximize their potential and to provide
that mentorship and role model. Marylou
is that person. The next
Board member needs to be one with initiative.
Being able to take a look at opportunities, seize upon them and
then with being as part of the team of the Board, being able to make
that difference. To make
this great institution even greater.
The next Board member needs to be a person of courage, not just
physical courage, but also moral courage.
Having the integrity to make decisions that are sometimes the
hard to right versus the easier wrong.
Being able to stand up for what is right and representing the
needs of the customers of this great institution:
students, businesses, whether or not someone lives in the rural
communities, the Dansville and Mason or lives on the north side of
Lansing. All are
important. All are vital
to the growth of this institution and the contribution it makes to
this community. And
finally, the person that you select should be one with vision.
Being able to look beyond the horizon.
Looking at the things that are coming and facing the challenges
that are facing this great institution and this community.
And being able to rise up to those challenges and making the
difference necessary in order to make a difference on the lives of
folks who rely upon this great institution to make them better.
Marylou is that person and listening to the fine folks who have
come up here, they are?you would not go wrong with anyone that you
choose, but I would encourage you to take a look at Marylou because
she will make a difference on your Board.
Thank you.
Linda Chavez - Good afternoon, Brian Jeffries,
Paula Cunningham. My name
is Linda Chavez and I'm a commercial broker in the Lansing area and
owner of Chavez Commercial Realty.
I've known Marylou about 10 years and have observed a lot of
things about her. She?s
a rare and exceptional person. One
of those people that happen to be born in another world, but through
perseverance and work and determination has been able to cross over
and make a difference into another.
She has the ability to keep a global perspective, but yet
remain focused on local issues and community needs.
This is a person with an extensive background in education.
And she has the ability, I've observed, to make difficult
decisions amid political unrest, special interests, focuses and
remains focused on the issues at present.
She would be an effective member of the Board and a valuable
asset to LCC as a whole. She
has dedication, integrity, and a capacity for work unmatched in this
room. Her spears of
influence are vast and varied and that's an asset that will bring
the goals and missions of Lansing Community College into new arenas of
awareness, which can only be a benefit to LCC.
Thank you.
Tony Benavides - my name is Tony Benavides.
I don't think I can improve anything that has been said by
the previous speakers. I
just want to tell you that I have known Marylou for over 30 years both
as a personal friend and also as the president of the Cristo Rey Board
of Directors and I'm here to tell you that you cannot find a more
committed, a more loyal, a more friendly individual than Marylou.
Marylou has a high degree of integrity and she definitely is a
leader in the Hispanic community and is well respected by all of us
and the fact that we are here today we think that she would be an
outstanding member to fill in the position that you now have.
And I know that if you do you would not regret it.
I?d be the first one to come back and straighten it out.
Armando Cardenas - I support Marylou Mason.
My name is Armando Cardenas, I'm with Aerogenesis Aviation at
the airport. And just to
answer your question. I
think she?ll find the time no matter what.
She always accomplishes what she has (inaudible). Thank you.
Final Selection Process
Chairperson Jeffries asked that each Trustee give
their top candidate.
Trustee Pelleran thanked all of the candidates
and is thrilled that so many people are stepping to the plate.
She stated that one of the things she has seen since she?s
been a Trustee is an extreme amount of participation of several people
in the candidate pool. Trustee
Pelleran stated that all of the candidates are tremendous and
encouraged them to run for office whether they are selected or not.
She stated that several candidates touched on the subject of
workforce development, which is most important to a community college.
However, one candidate was ahead of the others.
Trustee Pelleran voted for Chris Laverty.
Trustee Rasmusson stated that all the candidates
were excellent, but he voted for Marylou Mason.
Trustee Heywood voted for Marylou Mason.
He said that he was amazed at the talent pool that the Board
received.
Trustee Holden voted for Marylou Mason.
She said that she has been through four appointment processes
and this has been the most difficult one.
All of the candidates are outstanding, but the defining factor
is having a highly qualified candidate who represents a segment of the
community the College serves.
Trustee Canady stated that knowing four of the
five candidates very well made it difficult to reach a decision.
He stated that the candidate that has always participated is
Chris Laverty. He attends
the Board meetings regularly, keeps abreast of the information that
impacts the College, has participated diligently with the Foundation
Board, and has shown a commitment that is unparallel.
For these reasons Trustee Canady voted for Chris Laverty.
Chairperson Jeffries thanked everyone who applied
and those that were interviewed. He
encouraged everyone, if it is their desire and they are not selected
today, to run in the June election.
He said that every candidate brings something that is unique
and makes him or her uniquely qualified.
Chairperson Jeffries stated that diversity is an issue that
drove his decision. He
voted for Marylou Mason
The successful candidate was Marylou Mason.
Ms. Mason thanked the Board and stated that she
looks forward to working with everyone.
She is very excited and humbled that the Board selected her.
Ms. Mason expressed that it is a very special day for her and
her family because her husband passed away two years ago today, so
this makes it very special.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 1:34 p.m.
