Seven apply for vacant PCC Governing Board position – updated

Seven people have applied for the District 5 Pima Community College governing board position, vacated in late June by long time member Marty Cortez.  The deadline to apply was today at 5 p.m. The Pima County School  Superintendent’s website (www.schools.pima.gov) will have these individuals listed as having applied:

Cecilia Cruz

Martha Durkin

Richard Fridena

Luiz Gonzales

James (Jim) Mielke

Jim Murphy (withdrawn)

Francis Saitta (withdrawn)

I believe that  Cecilia Cruz is a neighborhood activist, Martha Durkin is the Deputy City Manager of Tucson, Educator Richard Fridena  run for PCC Governing Board in 2012, as did Francis Saitta (who also ran for TUSD Governing Board in 2014).   Not sure at press time if this Jim Murphy is the former Pima County Supervisor and former head of Pima Council on Aging.

According to PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert, a selection committee to advise on this appointment by Dr. Linda Arzoumanian, will be set up to include residents of District 5.  “The committee will include two community members who live in District 5, a local business leader, faculty, staff and student representatives and the superintendent of a local school district” (per earlier Arizona Daily Star article).

The person selected will serve out Cortez’s term and be up for election in Nov. 2016.

Information on the other 4 PCC Board members here: https://www.pima.edu/about-pima/board-of-governors/board-members.html

8/17/15 UPDATED:  Per Ricky Hernandez at the School superintendent’s office, two applicants have withdrawn: Jim Murphy and Francis Saitta.  They hope to have an appointment by next month, after the interview process (closed to the public).