Gavilan Joint Community College Governing Board, Trustee Area 2 Candidate Steve Kinsella
Steve Kinsella
A 28 percent decline in enrollment since 2016, deficit spending, and high executive turnover are the core issues facing Gavilan today. In December, at least three of the seven Board members will be new. I am running for the board to add Gavilan specific knowledge and experience in community colleges to the board.
As president of Gavilan College for 13 years, I navigated it through the Great Recession without pay cuts or layoffs, purchased the Coyote Valley and San Benito County campus properties and grew the college as the communities grew. My qualifications include 25 years of community college experience, 30 years as a CPA, and I possess a Doctor of Business Administration degree (DBA). I have been a Morgan Hill resident since 1996 and was the Educator of the Year in 2012.
I became a college critic after asking the Gavilan board to address the college’s financial deficits in 2018, 2019 and 2020. My specific advice and concerns were expressed in emails and then two letters outlining steps necessary to contain the deficits. The board neither responded to my public input nor acted to stop the deficit spending.
In late 2020 the state’s Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) conducted a fiscal health review and noted the college had a high probability of fiscal insolvency, confirming my concerns and exposing many other details not publicly known. I decided it was time to seek a board seat to affect change because making public comments has had no impact on the board’s actions.
I believe I am the best candidate to immediately and effectively represent the public on the Gavilan Board.
I respectfully request your vote to fill the two-year seat for Gavilan Trustee Area 2.
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