MPC Board of Trustees new guard sworn in, but old guard holds sway.

Shortly after two new faces joined the Monterey Peninsula College Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Dec. 12, the women who won their races with voters on Nov. 6 attempted to change the leadership makeup of the board, only to lose that vote, 3-2.

The move came two weeks after MPC Trustee Loren Steck suggested that new trustees be required to complete a training course through the California Community College League that can take up to a year or more, in order to be eligible for the positions of board chair or vice chair.

The proposal was sharply criticized as being undemocratic and some found the move suspicious as two women of color were about to take seats on the board. Then trustee-elect Anderson spoke out saying it seemed “heavy-handed and patriarchal.”

Anderson, representing Area 2 covering mostly Marina, and Natalia Molina, representing Area 1 covering mostly Seaside, were sworn in at the top of the meeting on Wednesday. One of the first actions of the new board was to elect its officers for 2019. Marilynn Gustafson was unanimously re-elected as chairperson.

Then came the vote for vice chair. Trustee Rick Johnson nominated Steck, and Gustafson attempted to take a vote. That’s when Molina spoke up and offered a substitute motion to nominate Anderson.

Molina referenced the board’s own manual that suggests trustees be willing to engage in “courageous conversation.” It’s what Anderson did in speaking up about the training proposal on Nov. 28, she said, “and that’s what I want to see in the leadership here.”

There was silence as Gustafson waited for someone to make a second. Just as Gustafson was about to move on, Anderson said she would second the motion for her own nomination.

“I would be happy to serve as vice chair, it’s an opportunity to work together and learn about the board and to be a strong leader for the people who elected me. We haven’t had opportunity for board leadership from the trustee area I represent,” Anderson said.

The vote was 3-3, including Student Trustee Ellise Kittrell, but Kittrell’s vote was only advisory, so the actual vote was 3-2, with Anderson and Molina in the minority. The vote for Steck to take over as vice chair was also 3-2.

The new board also voted to change its regular meeting times, after hearing comments recently that the 1:30pm start time on the fourth Wednesday of every month is inconvenient for students, faculty and the general public.

The board voted unanimously to change the meeting time to 4pm on the fourth Wednesday of every month, with closed sessions happening at 2:30pm.

Absent from the meeting was MPC President and Superintendent Walt Tribley, who officially is out on medical leave through January. However, according to the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District in Alamada County, he was slated to speak Dec. 12 as one of three finalists for the job as chancellor.

Tribley announced in June he is retiring from MPC by September 2019. The Chabot-Las Positas chancellor job begins in February.