In the spring of 2014, as a college counselor at Catalina High School, I was very concerned about the situation at Pima Community College, where most of our college-bound students go. The turmoil of the past few years, largely due to leadership issues (including pending certification sanctions), has led many of my seniors to postpone or abandon college altogether.

The good news was that a community college in Washington State had just hired a new dean who had excellent grades. I decided to run for the board and see if I could work with him to make a difference for our students and our entire community.

And what a change he made! A U.S. Army veteran with a strong background in both liberal arts education and workforce development, and a strong commitment to equitable access, was exactly what his PCC needed. Shortly after he was hired, we were well on our way to solving accreditation issues with improvement plans and indicators in nearly every area of ​​the university.

President Lambert soon collaborated with leaders in education, business, and the community to develop a vision of what Pima Community College could do for the community beyond simply entry-level tertiary education opportunities. . From these “Futures Conferences” and business and industry-focused roundtables, programs and cutting-edge programs designed to enable 21st-century workforce development in the fields of aeronautics and automotive technology, advanced manufacturing, and health “Center of Excellence” was born. Care, Hospitality, Information Technology, Cyber ​​Security, Public Safety, Arts.

Companies like Caterpillar, Ford, Raytheon, and AGM Container have partnered with universities to prepare employees for the high-paying, long-term jobs that support local economies and change the lives of themselves and their families. Under his leadership, strong relationships have been formed with the University of Arizona, ASU, NAU, The Catholic University, JTED, and local school districts that offer dual enrollment and transfer pathways. A long-standing pillar of PCC’s mission, adult basic education continues to be strengthened and developed.

President Lambert worked with the Pima Foundation to secure a $5 million endowment, the largest in university history. He has invested heavily in his Pima Online, incorporating robust diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the university’s campuses and centres.

While community college enrollments across the country have struggled before and after the pandemic, PCC is now stronger thanks to Lee’s leadership and dedicated faculty and administration. PCC has been named as one of the nation’s best community colleges by Harvard University, the Aspen Institute, the Bellwether Foundation, and more. There is no doubt in my mind that much of this progress and success is directly due to Prime Minister Lambert, and that our community is immensely grateful to him.

Unfortunately, Lambert’s departure worries me about its continued progress. The university’s current board of directors has members who seem to put other issues ahead of student success. Micromanagement is never a good idea for any kind of board, but it has become the norm. With its blatant disregard for public meeting rules (at least one member was mentioned by the Arizona Attorney General’s office) and agenda driven by outside interests, the ability of the board as a whole to really matter: I am unable to concentrate.

With elections in three of the five constituencies represented on the Board in 2024, voters will seriously consider the astonishing transformation of Pima Community College under President Lee Lambert, Like him, the PCC hopes to elect a member who believes to be prime minister. At a community college, student success (how we look personally) is our most important responsibility.

Thank you to the people of Tucson in Pima County, me and the literally thousands of students whose lives have been improved by your leadership and vision, President Lee Lambert.