Summary of the October 6, 2026 Board of Trustees Meeting
Published on Oct 6 2026Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that College of the Redwoods is located on the unceded territory of the Wiyot, Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, and Yurok people where they have resided from time immemorial. We encourage all to gain a deeper understanding of their history and thriving culture. As an expression of our gratitude we are genuinely committed to developing trusting, reciprocal, and long lasting partnerships with the Wiyot people as well as all of our neighboring tribes.
Board Business
Board President Mathews appointed herself, Trustee Dr. Mullery, and Trustee Dronkers to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee on Nominations for Board Officers. Per AP 2210, at the November meeting of the Board, the Ad Hoc Committee will present a slate of officers to be voted on in December. The Board will vote on the slate of officers, or nominations from the floor, at the December organizational meeting. The new officers will be seated at the December meeting.
President Mathews also appointed Trustee Biggin and Trustee Rice to serve as chair and vice chair of the presidential search committee. By direction of President Mathews, I notified Human Resources and the consultant that the search will begin on November 2. I will convene a meeting with Trustees Biggin and Rice, Jose Serranno, Molly Blakemore, Julie Gilbride, and the consultant to finalize the search timeline and the communication protocol. I will also contact the appropriate constituent groups requesting their search committee appointments.
Consent Calendar Action Items
The Board of Trustees approved several personnel-related items including the hiring of Tracey Culbertson as a Student Development Advisor (Del Norte Campus) and Joseph Hutton as an Assistant Professor of Nursing. Also approved was the change of status for Bob Brown from Dean of Students to Associate Vice President of Student Services, Crystal Morse from Vice President of instruction and Student Development to Vice President of Instruction and Strategic Initiatives, Morgan Stanley from Manager of College Grants and Initiatives to Director of Grant Initiatives and Programs, and Marcel Van Dissel from Manager of Information Technology Projects to Director of Information Technology and Information Systems. We also have an opportunity to welcome six new associate faculty to our community: Caitlyn Toogood-Reynolds (Nursing), Danielle Soderlund (Nursing), Jennifer Armington (Early Childhood Education), Paige Dominguez (Nursing), Regina Schuetzle (Nursing), and Sarah Jenny (Nursing).
The Board also ratified my acceptance of Amanda Staack’s resignation and the retirement of Kristy Seher effective March 1, 2027. Although Kristy’s official retirement date is not until March 2027, her last day in the office will be the end of December 2026. I authorized the immediate search for Kristy’s replacement as Payroll Manager, hoping that we will be able to hire someone soon enough to allow some overlap time with Kristy.
The Board granted emeritus status to Tami Matsumoto, Caroline Haug, Sally Urban, and Cheryl Norton. Below is an abridged version of the narrative included in the agenda recommendation.
Teresa Matsumoto: Tami Matsumoto taught College Arithmetic through Calculus and has been one of those professors with a unique ability to speak with and support students at all levels of mathematical understanding and do it with the patience of Job. Tami’s passion for mathematics and teaching was never contained within the walls of College of the Redwoods; she has been very active over the years with the Humboldt County Math Festival, Putman Exam coaching, appearing on our local PBS station’s Homework Hotline, and supporting tutor and K-12 teacher training across our service District.
Caroline Haug: Caroline Haug served College of the Redwoods for 20 years as a Professor of Nursing. During her time at the College, she helped prepare generations of nursing students for the responsibilities and challenges of a career in healthcare. Her knowledge, experience, and commitment to teaching contributed to the strength of the nursing program and the success of its students.
Sally Urban: Sally Urban served College of the Redwoods for 20 years as a Professor of Nursing, making a lasting impact through her work with nursing students and colleagues. Her career reflects a longstanding commitment to providing students with the education and preparation needed to enter the nursing profession and serve their communities.
Cheryl Norton: Cheryl Norton served College of the Redwoods as an EOPS counselor for 11 years, supporting students through academic, career, and personal challenges. In addition to her counseling responsibilities, Cheryl taught Guidance courses and served for multiple years on the Distance Education Committee. In addition to her work with EOPS, Cheryl also served students through the CARE program and was a strong advocate for student parents. Through her counseling, teaching, committee service, and advocacy, Cheryl made a meaningful and lasting contribution to the college and to the students she served.
Action/Discussion Items
The Board approved my amended contract at this meeting. My new contract reflects .72% increase in my salary from $351,777.04 to $354,309.83 retroactive to July 1, 2026. The contract also moves my end date from December 31, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
I am pleased to write that the Board approved my recommendation to name the Eureka Campus Community Stadium “McAuley Field at the Community Stadium” after Mr. Jim McAuley.
Jim McAuley set the standard for greatness for CR football from 1967 to 1976, during which time he led the College of the Redwoods football program to unparalleled success. His teams played with a level of confidence and determination that propelled them to nine Golden Valley Conference championships, two Northern California championships and three California State titles. Additionally, Jim was honored as the California Community College Football Coach of the Year four times and was a member of the California Community College Commission on Athletics Hall of Fame and the California Community College Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The Board executed a first read on three revised board policies—BP 2305, BP 2431, and BP 2740. I want to briefly mentioned the key changes to BP 2431 President/Superintendent Selection:
· Appointing a Chair and Vice-Chair
· Creating one search committee responsible for reviewing applications and conducting interviews rather than having two committees.
· Clarifying language that affords the Board an option to request see all applicants interviewed by the Search Committee and elect to interview other applications who were interviewed by not moved forward to the Board by the Search Committee.
· Revising the membership of the Screening Committee: BOT Search Chair and Co-Chair; Chief Human Resources Officer or designee; one student appointed by the Board in consultation with ASCR; one faculty representative appointed by the Academic Senate President; one administrator appointed by the Board in consultation with the President/Superintendent; one dean appointed by the Board in consultation with the President/Superintendent; one classified employee representative appointed by the Board in consultation with the California School Employees Association (CSEA); one classified manager appointed by the Board in consultation with the Management Council; one public representative, if available, from Humboldt, Trinity or Del Norte counties, selected by the Board in consultation with the President/Superintendent; and the CHRO/EEO or designee (non-voting).
Informational Reports
In my recognition report, I recognized Ryan Bisio for being asked to speak to the alumni association of California State University Monterey Bay on October 2, Dr. Crystal Morse for her selection to the Board of Directors of the Redwood Coast Chamber Foundation, Stuart Altschuler for receiving the Bob and Pam Service Award for his work with the local democratic party, and Trustee Richard Dorn for completing the Recertification of the Excellence in Trusteeship Program.
Organizational Reports
In her report, Academic Senate President Wendy Riggs expressed gratitude to Dr. Crystal Morse for instigating the conversation about new program review and assessment processes in a September email to all faculty, Jennifer Burlison, Dr. George Potamianos, Dr. Jon Pedicino, and Amber Buntin for engaging thoughtfully in the Presidential Search process, Irene Gonzales, Director of the Multicultural Education Center, for including faculty in the BRIDGE program, and the Professional Development subcommittee of the Accessibility Planning Committee for launching its Small Changes Big Impact series.
In her organizational report, CRFO President Michelle Haggerty thanked the Board for including the faculty union voice in the presidential campus interview process. CSEA President Rachel Warze’s report mentioned that classified staff union chapter was selected to participate in the Membership Unity Program. The MUP represents an investment in employee communication, engagement, and organizational unity, reinforcing the key role classified employees play in the District and encouraging employees to remain connected to one another and engaged in the work of the College. Management Council President Amber Cavanaugh’s written report acknowledged Ryan Bisio and shared a new partnership with Grounded AI to bring accessible, direct AI training to the community.