Summary of the November 4, 2025 Board of Trustees Meeting
Published on Nov 4 2025In this second to the last regular meeting of 2025-26 calendar year, the Trustees took steps to solidify their board governance leadership for next year, approved several personnel related items, moved forward with the Del Norte Campus and Student Housing capital projects, granted Faculty Emeritus status to four faculty retirees, and approved the 2024-2027 contract negotiated between the District and CSEA. Below is a summary of a few agenda items in the November 4, 2025 Regular Meeting. I refer you to the minutes of this meeting if you want to know the details of each specific agenda item.
Business Board
The Board approved their regular meetings and workshop dates and locations for 2026 as well as the annual agenda calendar. Additionally, an ad hoc committee of the Board proposed Trustee Carol Mathews as President of the Board, Trustee Richard Dorn as Vice President, and Trustee Lorraine Pedrotti as Clerk for Board officers in 2026. The Board will vote on this slate of proposed officers and any other candidates nominated from the floor at their December 16, 2025 meeting.
Consent Calendar Action Items
By Board action Tommy Burley will join our college community as a Learning Technologies Specialist (.78 FTE) on November 12, 2025. We also welcome Tiffany Geiger and Sarah Griffith as two new Nursing associate faculty members. We can congratulate Jennifer Bailey for gaining Board approval for her employee change of status from Communications and Marketing Coordinator.63 FTE to Communications and Marketing Coordinator.79 FTE effective November 1, 2025. After a national search, Ryan Bisio was selected to serve as our new permanent Director of Physical Education and Athletic Programs and Amber Cavanaugh will assume the permanent Director of Community Workforce Development position. Ryan and Amber will assume their new positions effective November 5, 2025. What is not clear from the language included in the agenda item is that Ryan has been serving as our Interim Director of Athletics and Amber as our Interim Director of Community Workforce Development for a period of time.
Even though we are welcoming new colleagues to our college community, we must also prepare to say goodbye to four wonderful faculty colleagues who have served the District through good times and tumultuous times. Cheryl Norton, Professor of Counseling, will retire on December 19, 2025. Dr. Karen Reiss, Professor of Life Science, Sally Urban, Professor of Nursing, and Teresa (Tami) Matsumoto will leave the District at the end of spring semester. I want to congratulate these four faculty members on their retirement. Their contributions to the District have been invaluable and will continue in CR’s history.
Our Measure I Bond Project Status Report was reviewed and approved by the Trustees. The report noted Measure I bond proceeds, augmented by $28.4 million from the State, will fund the finalization of the design phase and the construction of our $95 million Student Housing Project. The design is now with the Division of the State Architect (DSA) for review and approval. We expect to break ground on the project spring 2026. Additionally, we will use $20 million in bond funds to design and complete the Del Norte Healthcare and Revitalization Project. We will also use Measure I funds to demolish the Eureka Campus Old Administration/Forum Buildings, conduct a geotechnical analysis to determine the appropriate location to install a baseball/softball field on the Eureka Campus, and complete phase II of the community stadium project.
A three-year retirement incentive has been offered to faculty. For purposes of equity and fairness, the Board approved my recommendation to offer a three-year retirement incentive to administrators, managers, and confidential staff (AMC) that is similarly structured to the incentive offered to faculty. The AMC retirement incentive will require employees to be at least sixty years old and have completed five years of continuous services at the time of retirement. AMC members committing to retire this academic year (2025-26) will receive $12,500, less statutory withholdings, $8,000 if committing to retire in the 2026-27 academic year, or $4,000 if committing to retire in 2027–2028. To avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, I want to clearly state that the President/Superintendent position is excluded from the AMC retirement incentive.
I am pleased to share that the Board approved four important recommendations related to Measure I capital projects. The Trustees awarded CEQA and Coastal Development Permit Services for the Del Norte Healthcare Training Center to the Northpoint Consulting Group Inc. Northpoint Consulting Group Inc. has 30 years of experience providing Planning, Environmental, Water Resources, and Civil Engineering services to educational organizations and other groups throughout Northern California. Overwatch CM (dba fs3 Hodges) was awarded the Constructability and Waterproofing Review contract for our Student Housing Project. Overwatch CM (dba fs3 Hodges) has 11 years of experience providing expert, trusted program, project, and construction management services to public clients. The Geotechnical and Tsunami Hazard Testing and Report Services work for the Del Norte Healthcare Training Center was awarded to SHN. SHN has over 46 years of experience providing geotechnical services to educational organizations and other groups throughout Northern California. The Board also approved awarding Lead and Asbestos Assessment for the Del Norte Healthcare Training Center work to Guzi-West Inspection and Consulting, LLC. Guzi-West Inspection and Consulting LLC has 14 years of experience providing full-service environmental consulting firm specializing in hazardous materials investigations, including but not limited to asbestos, lead-based paint, contaminated soils, naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), and mold.
We were remiss in awarding emeritus status to four exceptional faculty members when they formally retired from the District. To correct that oversight, I am pleased to report that the Board of Trustees agreed to confer the title of Faculty Emeritus on retired professors Dr. Sean Thomas, Dr. Edward (Ed) Macan, Gary Sokolow, and Kerry Mayer. Dr. Sean Thomas started as associate faculty in 2002 and became a full-time faculty member in 2009. Dr. Thomas chaired the Curriculum Committee through the COVID-19 lockdown, led the English ADT revision and English 2B creation, served on the Education Master Plan Committee, served as the District’s ISER Lead Writer, and led the Accreditation Oversight Committee. Dr. Ed Macan was hired as full-time faculty member in 1994. Dr. Macan participated in numerous college and professional service activities far exceeding the minimum requirements, contributed to numerous publications, wrote the book, Medievalism, Pastoralism, Orientalism: Vaughan Williams, Holst, and the Construction of Twentieth-Century English Music, that marked his life’s work, served on the CRFO Executive Committee for eight consecutive years, and served as CRFO vice president, treasurer, and grievance officer. Mr. Gary Sokolow was hired as a full-time faculty member for the Del Norte Campus in 1998 and later transferred to the Eureka Campus. Mr. Sokolow served admirably as the Academic Senate President and Co-President and as the ASCR student government advisor, taught in three different departments (History, Administration of Justice, and Political Science) which made him an invaluable asset to CR, and served on the Curriculum Committee for several years. Ms. Kerry Mayer joined the faculty ranks first as an associate faculty in 1989 and later became a full-time faculty member in 1998. As a faculty member, Ms. Mayer served as an Area Coordinator for Speech and Journalism, chaired the Faculty Development Committee, served as a member of several Accreditation committees, served as CRFO President, Vice President, and Grievance Officer and as a member of the CRFO Executive Committee. Ms. Mayer’s service to the College also included services as the Dean of Career Education, the Vice President of Instruction, and as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. Each honoree will receive a certificate, permanent identification card, and complimentary admission to College events recognizing their lasting connection to College of the Redwoods. The Emeritus title symbolizes both gratitude and respect for their many years of outstanding service to the District, its students, and the broader community.
Informational Reports
I recognized Jencie Smith, Gussie Solem, Morrigan Burke, Rachel Warze, Amber Buntin, and Laura Meglemre for planning and executing the fall semester Science Night program, Jessica Howard for developing, and gaining state approval for, our Psychiatric Program, and Carolyn Perkins and Mark Taylor for the Education as a Form of Resistance conversation on October 21, 2025. I also acknowledged the fact that our Fire Technology Program received an initial accreditation from the State Training and Education Advisory Committee as a Regional Training Program for the next three years. The last step in the accreditation process is gaining approval from the State Board of Fire Services which is expected on November 5, 2025. We will send out a press release announcing this milestone accreditation honor within the next few days.
Organizational and Administrative Reports
In her written report, Academic Senate President Johnson informed the Board that she will be attending ASCCC Fall Plenary Nov 5-8 and Caring Campus conference November 12-14. CRFO President Michelle Haggerty noted that Dr. Ryan Emanaker and Dr. Austin Roberts led a valuable discussion on the history of free speech and the moral obligation we have to participate in productive discourse, several CRFO officers attended the California Community Colleges Independents Union (CCCI) meeting in San Diego. Her overall reflection after this meeting is that we are doing well as a union and college. Management Council President Leigh Dooley noted that CSEA President Rachel Warze hosted a CSEA Contract Jeopardy game at the Management Council’s October 16 meeting. Additionally, Colin Trujilo and Bob Brown provided an overview of this year’s Program Review process. CSEA President Warze acknowledged Ruth Jensen for organizing the current art exhibit and reception, States of Matter: Western Landscape Interpretations by Rachel Kessler and Laura Meglemre for helping with the reception. Rachel also thanked our IT team—Jose Ramirez, Amador Renteria, Mark Bernards, Donovon Miller, and Morrigan Burker-Martin from Communications and Marketing—for successfully deploying new copiers across the District.
In my administrative report I wrote that Governor Newsom signed a new law declaring Diwali an official state holiday in California next year, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians approved the District’s Psychiatric Program for the four-year period, Dr. Kirstin Lima worked closely with the Tolowa Cultural Trail and the City of Crescent City to display artwork honoring the Tolowa culture and identity in the Del Norte Campus student center, and Academic Senate President Bernadette Johnson, Academic Senate Vice President Wendy Riggs, and I have formed a small group to plan a series of districtwide conversations following the Free Speech vs. Hate Speech discussion. The conversations will be held in the spring 2026. Professor Chris Lancaster (Communication Studies/Eureka), Professor Lisa Sayles (Communication Studies/Eureka), Professor Dr. Jon Pedicino (Astronomy/Eureka), Professor Elyse Elizondo (Community Studies/Del Norte), Professor Karyn-Lynn Fisette (English & General Studies/Del Norte), Assistant Professor Dr. Austin Roberts (Philosophy/Eureka), Dean Dr. Rebecca Robertson (Eureka), Alec Ferguson (Student/Eureka), Josh Stanley (CRPD/Eureka), and Jose Serrano (Interim Director of HR/Eureka) have expressed interest in serving on the planning group. In my verbal comments, I mentioned that CR athletics’ had a successful weekend of competition. On Saturday, our football team beat Butte College 22-21, the No.3 team in the state. The win puts us in a three-way tie with Butte and American River for first place in conference each with a 3-1 conference record. So, next weekend’s home game against American River will be a pivotal contest in our bid to win the conference title. Here is a link to the HumboldtSports story: Redwoods remains in conference race after big win at Butte – HumboldtSports.com Our men’s basketball team also had a successful outing this past weekend. They beat Los Medanos College 106 to 102 on Saturday and Mendocino College 78-66 on Sunday at the Live Like Geno Classic tournament. .The basketball accolades continued with Alfonso Medina (Fortuna High), Cody Whitmer (Mckinleyville High), and Marcos Rosales receiving All Tourney awards this past weekend. Also, our men’s cross-country team qualified for the Northern California Regional Championships and Gabby Crosswhite (Fortuna High) qualified for the women’s cross-country championships. I also mentioned that Stephanie Freyermuth was interviewed by KRCR on Monday about the work she is doing with our Basic Needs Center to help students, and their families find food insecurity relief.
The Chancellor’s Office asks each community college to report on a District’s total FTES, headcount, K-12 dual enrollment headcount, veterans' headcount, and current or former foster youth headcount between the current Fall semester compared to previous Fall semester. Julia Morrison’s written report provided CR’s numbers that were reported to the CCCCO. Between Fall 2024 and Fall 2025, we experienced increases across all reported enrollment categories. Current projections show an 8.7 percent increase in FTES, from 1,831 to 1,991, and a 9.9 percent increase in total headcount, from 5,041 to 5,542. K–12 Dual Enrollment headcount increased by 17.8 percent, from 545 to 642 students. The number of students identifying as veterans increased by 16.9 percent, and the number of current or former foster youth increased by 10.9 percent. These data indicate year-over-year growth in both overall enrollment and in populations identified for targeted outreach and support.
Crystal Morse shared her experience at the Fall 2025 California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers Conference. She found the pre-conference and conference transformative. The pre-conference included intensive sessions on team development, legislative toolkits, budget basics, and strategic planning to lay a solid foundation for effective leadership. The main conference brought together Chief Instructional Officers and Chief Student Services Officers for collaborative sessions aimed at fostering stronger partnerships anchored in student advocacy. Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart of Austin Community College and the Aspen Leadership Institute set the tone for the conference. Dr. Lowery-Hart outlined a transformative leadership framework emphasizing cultural change, initiative-taking impact, and clear communication.
Marty Coelho noted that the Foundation will host an Open House on Thursday, December 11, the Humboldt Walk to End Alzheimer’s, sponsored by Blue Lake Casino Hotel and the CR Foundation, was another great success, the Foundation Board announced the funding of the McCullough Family Dental Assistant Scholarship Fund, a new annual fall scholarship supporting students in CR’s Dental Assistant Program. This scholarship will assist a head-of-household student by reimbursing the cost of their dental kit and testing fees. He also wrote that on October 28, several CR and Foundation leaders attended the Del Norte Healthcare District Board Meeting to share updates on CR’s five new healthcare programs are requested of $59,000 to accelerate the development of curriculum for the surgical, radiology, and respiratory technician programs. Marty thanked Chief Perkins and Sergeant Watson for providing security at the recent Alzheimer’s Walk.