Gregoire appoints new EvCC trustee
Angela Cooper-McCorkle
Issue date: 1/29/10 Section: News
Five individuals control the governance of the college, ruling on budget, programming, hiring and more: current students have the rare opportunity to welcome local businesswoman Gigi Burke to the elite group, the EvCC Board of Trustees.
The position is unpaid, but comes with a five-year term, giving each board member a great deal of influence.
Burke applied for the spot vacated by Nancy Truitt Pierce in September 2009. Truitt Pierce had served on the board since 1998.
The application process was a comprehensive and competitive one according to Viet Shelton, deputy communications director for the governor. The governor solicited recommendations from the college, the community and local leaders. Burke's resume, application, and prior community involvement were all considered.
Burke's long history of business ownership, and extensive civic involvement, including a stint as president of the Everett Public Schools Foundation, helped her earn the spot. She was also selected because she was a woman and she had a specific skill set, which helped maintain a balanced demographic on the board, according to Viet.
Burke sees the college as critical to the success of the region and to individual students. "Access to higher education opportunities has never been as important as it is in today's economy. Jobs are few and far between and well educated people will have a much better chance at success," Burke said in a recent faculty-staff newsletter Q&A.
Burke has already attended her first board meeting, where the agenda included an update on the budget and the college's fundraising campaign.
Burke acknowledges that she is still learning about college operations and issues, and is particularly interested in finding out about what EvCC offers in the way of "career exploration programs… technology programs… and educating those individuals who have lost their jobs."
Students who would like to learn more about the board are invited to attend meetings, which occur on the third Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Board Room in Olympus Hall.
The position is unpaid, but comes with a five-year term, giving each board member a great deal of influence.
Burke applied for the spot vacated by Nancy Truitt Pierce in September 2009. Truitt Pierce had served on the board since 1998.
The application process was a comprehensive and competitive one according to Viet Shelton, deputy communications director for the governor. The governor solicited recommendations from the college, the community and local leaders. Burke's resume, application, and prior community involvement were all considered.
Burke's long history of business ownership, and extensive civic involvement, including a stint as president of the Everett Public Schools Foundation, helped her earn the spot. She was also selected because she was a woman and she had a specific skill set, which helped maintain a balanced demographic on the board, according to Viet.
Burke sees the college as critical to the success of the region and to individual students. "Access to higher education opportunities has never been as important as it is in today's economy. Jobs are few and far between and well educated people will have a much better chance at success," Burke said in a recent faculty-staff newsletter Q&A.
Burke has already attended her first board meeting, where the agenda included an update on the budget and the college's fundraising campaign.
Burke acknowledges that she is still learning about college operations and issues, and is particularly interested in finding out about what EvCC offers in the way of "career exploration programs… technology programs… and educating those individuals who have lost their jobs."
Students who would like to learn more about the board are invited to attend meetings, which occur on the third Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Board Room in Olympus Hall.
Be the first to comment on this story