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HIGHER LEARNING
Maricopa County cancels MCCCD governing board election
Incumbents run unopposed
(Courtesy Maricopa County Community Colleges)
From left to right, Susan Bitter Smith, Dr. Tom Nerini, Jacqueline Smith and Dr. Linda Thor have been reelected to the MCCCD governing board after running unopposed for their seats.
Posted
Maricopa County Elections has canceled the Nov. 5 elections for the Maricopa County Community College District’s Governing Board.
All four incumbent governing board members have been re-elected after running unopposed, eliminating the need for a public vote, according to a press release.
The district’s governing board has seven seats, including five elected positions from geographical districts within Maricopa County and two at-large positions representing the entire county. Board members serve staggered four-year terms.
“The Maricopa Community Colleges governing board is thrilled to continue serving our students, faculty and staff with the resources necessary to revolutionize higher education,” Governing Board President Susan Bitter Smith said in the release. “Our governing board members, together, have worked through a global pandemic while simultaneously creating groundbreaking workforce development programs and offering the first ever baccalaureate degrees for our students. We are honored to continue building on this success and continue serving as a model for higher education around the country.”
The district offers over 600 certificate and degree programs, including eight bachelor’s degrees.
The four re-elected board members are:
• Susan Bitter Smith, District 2
Bitter Smith currently serves as the district’s governing board president and has a history in public service. A native Arizonan, Bitter Smith served as the City of Scottsdale’s vice mayor and was the first female president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board. Bitter Smith ran for Congress in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District and was elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2012, where she served as Chair in 2015.
• Dr. Tom Nerini, District 5
Nerini currently serves as the district’s governing board secretary. First elected in 2018, Nerini is a Phoenix native with family roots in the west Valley dating back over a century. His background in education includes roles as a counselor at the Phoenix Union High School District, director of student outreach at Western Washington University and assistant director of admissions at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.
• Jacqueline Smith, District 1
First elected in 2020, Smith holds a J.D. and has worked at Arizona State University the last 15 years. Currently, she serves as senior vice president at the ASU Foundation for a New American University. She is also a professor of practice and has taught courses about university design, higher education and the law, cross-sector collaboration and civic leadership.
• Dr. Linda Thor, At-large
First elected in 2016, Dr. Thor has over 40 years experience working in community colleges, including 29 years as a chief executive officer. Throughout her career, Dr. Thor has held leadership positions like chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District from 2010 to 2015, president of Rio Salado College from 1990 to 2010, and president of West Los Angeles College from 1986 to 1990.
