[00:00:04]
>> TRUSTY WILLIAMS, ARE YOU PRESENT?
[1. Roll Call - Announcement of a Quorum ]
>> ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEE COMPTON, ARE YOU PRESENT.
>> MS. BOYD, I COULD CONFIRM, TRUSTY >> WE HAVE A QUORUM.
>> IN ACCORDANCE OF THE 551, I CALL TO ORDER THE SPECIAL MEETING DALLAS COLLEGE, JUNE 23RD, 2 O # 21 AT 12:57 P.M.
[2. Certification of Notice Posted for the Meeting]
BY ORDER OF GOVERNOR ABBOTT AND, THE BOARD IS MEETING CONFERENCE WITH MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, NOT GATHERED IN A PHYSICAL CENTRAL LOCATION.MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WHO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE DALLAS COLLEGE TRUSTEE WEBSITE, WILL BE UNMUTED FOR FIVE MINUTES, TO SPEAK.
THIS BOARD MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST OVER THE INTERNET IN AN AUDIO RECORDING AND THE A TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING WILL BE MADE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT A LATER DATE IN THE BOARD'S WEBSITE.
CHANCELER, YOU COULD CONFIRM THE MEETING HAS BEEN POSTED.
>> I CERTIFY THE MEETING WAS POSTED TO SECTION 55.1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE
>> CITIZENS DESIRING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, MS. MOLINA, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS THAT DESIRE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I COULD CONFIRM NO ONE HAS SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT THE BOARD MEETING TODAY.
>> AND ITEM 3 AND THE REASON WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY.
[4.1. Consideration and possible action on Employment Contract with Justin H. Lonon for the position of Chancellor commencing September 1, 2022 ]
AND I WILL PREFAS SINCE THE BOARD LEARN OF COUNCIL.AND GIVEN THE NUMEROUS CHANGES THAT DALLAS COLLEGE IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING, WE FELT STRONGLY, THAT DR. LENNON WOULD BE THE NEXT PERSON TO HELP NAVIGATE THROUGH UNCHARTERED TERRITORY AND MEETING WITH HIM, TO DISCUSS, THAT BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED.
SINCE WE MADE DR. LENNON AS THE SOLE FINALIST, AND THEY ARE PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTRACT.
DURING THE PROCESS, THE BOARD HASÂ -- WILL BE BACK FROM THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AND ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE INPUT THAT HELPED US SOLIDIFY THE DECISION.
THE CHANCELER IS THE ONE AND ONLY EMPLOYEE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HIRES.
AND WE TAKE THAT RESPONSE ILT, GIVEN TO THE BOARD BY LAW AND CREDITOR VERY SERIOUSLY.
I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO NAME JUSTIN H.
DR. JUSTIN RONNON, WILL BE NAMED BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 2021.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I SECOND THE MOTION.
>> WE WILL NOW OPEN UP FOR DISCUSSION.
>> AS I STATED BEFORE, I WANT TO REITERATE IT.
WE AS A BOARD BEGAN ON A JOURNEY TO TRANSFORMATION, IN 2019, WHEN WE DECIDED TO MOVE TO ONE COLLEGE.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE.
WE PUT A LOT OF HUMAN CAPITOL AND ALSO CAPITAL MONEY INTO THIS, ALL FOR THE PURPOSE OF BETTING SERVING STUDENTS.
WE DIDN'T MAKE THE DECISION, BASED ON JUNK STATUS.
[00:05:05]
WE MADE IT BASED ON DATA.WE GAVE IT BASED ON INFORMATION GIVEN TO US AND OTHERS.
WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT STAYING ON THE ROAD.
MANY SAY, THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE CHANCELER TO LEAVE, SO WE CAN GO BACK THROUGH HOW THINGS WERE BEFORE AND THE FLAVOR OF THE MONTH WOULD BE GONE WELL, BY NAMING DR. LONON OUR CHANCELER, IT SHOWS WE'RE NOT INTO FLAVOR OF THE MONTH.
WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THE TRAJECTORY WE'RE ON, PATH WE'RE ON.
AGAIN, ALL DESIGN TO BETTER SERVE STUDENTS, HAVE BETTER OUTCOMES, HAVE INCREASE NUMBER OF EDUCATED CITIZENRY WITH THE REQUIRED SKILLS NEEDED BY BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY TODAY.
I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE STEPPED UP TO THE BIG SHOES LEFT BY DR. RAY.
AND WE ARE ON THE PATH TO FULFILL THE MISSION TO IMPROVE LIVES AND COMMUNITIES.
DR. LONON, CONGRATULATIONS, ONCE THE VOTE IS TAKEN.
>> MADAM CHAIR, AS BEING THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE BOARD, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO SPEND THE LAST SIX MONTHS, DOING A VERY DEEP DIVE INTO THE ACTIVITIES AND THE LEADERSHIP.
WHAT I FOUND IS A VERY COMMON FOOTPRINT AND A FINGERPRINT ON EACH AND EVERY SECTION THAT I WENT INTO.
DOCTOR LONON, I WOULD FIND HIM, IN HELPING CHANCELER MAY SEE THIS COME INTO FRUITION.
AND HAVING SERVED ON BOARDS THAT DIDN'T TAKE THE SERIOUSNESS OF A SUCCESSION PLAN.
AND I THINK CHANCELER MAY NEEDS TO BE COMMENDED TOO, RECOGNIZING HE HAD TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WAS LEARNING ALONG WITH HIM IN THE NEW TERRITORY AS YOU WENT THROUGH IT.
I'M VERY COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND I'M EXCITED ON SEEING THE ENERGY THAT I BELIEVE DR. LONON BRINGS, AND FOR THAT, I TOTALLY SUPPORT THE DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
CLIFF MENTIONED THE SUCCESSION PLAN AND SOME OF US HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
WHY DIDN'T YOU DO A SEARCH AND THAT TYPE OF THING? I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER, DEANNA FLORES AND JOE MAY FOR LAUNCHING THE SUCCESSION PLANNING PROCESS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
YEAH, IT STARTS OUT, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CHANCELER GETS HIT BY A BUS? AND YOU FIND YOURSELF IN AN UNPREPARED SITUATION.
THAT WAS REALLY THE, YOU KNOW, THE INITIAL PHASES OF THE BOARD'S SUCCESSION PLANNING.
AND THERE'S JUSTIN AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO OTHER PEOPLE THAT COULD BE LOOKED TO.
AS WE REVISIT, WE TALKED ABOUT JUSTIN EVERY SINGLE TIME.
WHETHER HE WOULD BE WELL SUITED, WELL PREPARED, CAPABLE OF BEING OUR LEADERS.
AND THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT AFFIRMED, YES, HE WOULD.
EVERY TIME WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS BEEN TAKEN LIGHTLY OR A LAST MINUTE DECISION AT ALL.
WE'VE BEEN CHARTING IN THE DIRECTION FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND HARDLY INTENTIONAL AND IT COULD HAVE GONE A DIFFERENT WAY BASED ON JUSTIN PERFORMANCE QUITE FRANKLY AND HOW WE JUDGE HIS ABILITY TO FULFILL THE ROLE OF CHANCELER.
I THINK HOW WE LANDED ON THAT, SPEAKS IN THE BOAT WE'RE ABOUT TO TAKE A MINUTE FROM NOW.
JUSTIN, OUR RELATIONSHIP WILL CHANGE A LITTLE BIT AND WILL BE WITH ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE ACCOUNTABLE GUY FOR US NOW.
WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
YOU'VE HAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BEST MENTORS OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND I KNOW
[00:10:09]
YOU KNOW THAT.JOE, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID, DURING YOUR YEARS HERE AND PARTICULARLY RECENTLY AS WE CONTEMPLATED THIS TRANSITION.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYBODY WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND THE WAY IT TURNED OUT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE VOTING TODAY TO APPROVE JUSTIN AS THE NEXT CHANCELER.
CHANCELER JOE MAY WILL STILL BE AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
SO WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF HAVING TWO GREAT LEADERS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE DALLAS COLLEGE TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO IN THE FUTURE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BOTH OF YOU ALL.
WITH THAT, I WILL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
>> WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE IN APPROVING JUSTIN LONON AS THE NEXT CHANCELER.
>> MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I'M HUMBLED AND APPRECIATIVE OF THE BOARD SUPPORT AND CONFIDENCE.
ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT EXTENDS WITH ME AND THE DIRECTION OF YOUR TRUST IN THE DIRECTION WE'RE MOVING AS DALLAS COLLEGE AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 15 YEARS.
I'VE WORKED FOR THREE CHANCELERS DURING THAT TIME AND LEARNED A LOT FROM EACH ONE OF THEM, BUT CERTAINLY I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THE SOLID FOUNDATION THAT DR. MAY BUILT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING WITH HIM DURING THE TRANSITION.
I BELIEVE DEEPLY IN OUR MISSION TO TRANSFORM LIVES AND COMMUNITIES AND DO TAKE THAT VERY PERSONALLY.
AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL SNICKER WHEN I SAY THIS.
SOME OF YOU HEARD ME SAY THIS.
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON BEING IN THE BARRIER BUST IN BUSINESS AROUND HERE.
WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE THINGS, IN GETTING IN THE WAY OF STUDENT SUCCESS, TWO, THREE, AND BEYOND US.
LATER THIS WEEK, WE GET TO CELEBRATE WITH 11,000 STUDENTS TAKING PART IN GRADUATION CEREMONIES AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS WE'VE BEEN UNDERTAKING.
I KNOW WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL TO DO AHEAD OF US.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH ONE OF YOU AND THE FACULTY AND STAFF AND STUDENTS, IN OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO WE SUPPORT AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND AS WE TACKLE THE CHALLENGES AHEAD.
>> WE LOOK FORWARD TO, BEING A LOT MORE OF YOU.
WITH THAT, WE WILL ADJOURN TODAY'S SPECIAL MEETING AT 1:09 P.M.
OR WEEK.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.