NOCCCD Board Meeting Highlights for September 8, 2026

Chancellor's Report

Chancellor Byron D. Clift Breland noted upcoming statewide engagements, including his participation in the California Community Colleges Future Summit, where he will discuss Artificial Intelligence and workforce readiness, and that he will be the moderator at the inaugural English Language Learner Healthcare Pathways statewide convening on September 17.

Chancellor Breland recognized the grand reopening of Fullerton College Building 300, noting that the project was completed on time and under budget. He thanked Board President Dr. Barbara Dunsheath, Trustee Dr. Ryan Bent, Board Secretary Mark A. Lopez, and Trustee Stephen T. Blount for attending, and acknowledged Fullerton College President Dr. Cynthia Olivo and her team for their work.

Board Actions

The Board of Trustees acted on agenda items, including those highlighted below:

• Board authorized the adoption of revised BP 2710, Conflict of Interest, and BP 3250, Institutional Planning.
• Board received, as information, revised AP 6150, Designation of Authorized Signatures.

Presentations

2026-27 Proposed Budget

Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Dr. John Parker presented the District’s 2026-27 Proposed Budget, reporting a balanced budget with a fully funded $52.1 million Board Policy Reserve. He noted that the District is cautiously budgeting for no FTES growth, is using a 4.31% COLA in its revenue assumptions, and expects to be funded through the Student Centered Funding Formula rather than Stability Protection or Hold Harmless.

Human Resources

The Board approved the hiring of:

• Fullerton College Clerical Assistant I Perla Alcala
• Fullerton College Special Projects Coordinator, President’s Office Samiy Castillo Bolivar
• Anaheim Campus IT Project Leader Bhavani Rangaswamy
• Fullerton College Special Projects Coordinator, Rising Scholars Giovanni Stewart

The Board approved the retirement of Fullerton College Instructor, Early Childhood Education Thomas Chiaromonte; Fullerton College Instructor, CIS Nancy Woolridge; Cypress College Administrative Assistant III, ISS Cindy Cao; Fullerton College Office Coordinator Vivian Gaytan; NOCE Instructional Assistant/ESL Patricia Giron; Cypress College Accounting Specialist Rosemary Penesa.

The Board approved the resignations of Cypress College Division Dean, Career Tech Ed/Economic Development Ricky Hodge; Fullerton College Laboratory Clerk/Chemistry Andy Do; Anaheim Campus IT Security Analyst/System Administrator Kevin Trainor.

Chancellor's Staff Reports

NOCE

NOCE President Valentina Purtell highlighted the Student Services Connect and Thrive event held September 1 at the Anaheim Campus, which showcased programs including Grads2B, Student Leadership, Rising Scholars, Rise Youth, and Pride Space. She concluded by highlighting NOCE’s statewide impact through the California Adult Education Program Technical Assistance Project, which recently hosted a webinar attended by 135 colleagues from 114 colleges.

Fullerton College

Fullerton College President Dr. Cynthia Olivo shared that EdSource recognized Fullerton College as one of the top 10 California community colleges for transferring students to both the CSU and UC systems. She also highlighted the new Artificial Intelligence in Business Associate in Science degree and an eSports program with a dual enrollment partnership, and noted her upcoming travel to Washington, D.C., to support renewal of the college’s cybersecurity program designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence.

Cypress College

Cypress College President Dr. Scott Thayer shared that Cypress College hosted the ASCCC and CC LEAD Collegiality in Action session, led by Academic Senate President Jaclyn Magginetti, focused on 10+1 and consultation governance topics. He also recognized kinesiology faculty member Sergio Cutrona for offering employee wellness baseline testing through the FitLab and announced upcoming Cypress College Foundation events, including the Golf Classic on September 14 and Pups and Pints on October 16.

Educational Services & Institutional Effectiveness

Vice Chancellor of Educational Services & Institutional Effectiveness Dr. Jennifer Vega La Serna provided details on the District-wide curriculum workshop held August 31 for deans, vice presidents, directors, and managers. She shared that the workshop focused on curriculum governance, roles and responsibilities, and collaboration between faculty and administration.

Administrative Services

Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Dr. John Parker provided an update on the Measure J bond, noting that the District is preparing for a Series D bond issuance tentatively planned for late November, pending Board approval. He shared that District representatives will meet with S&P and Moody’s on October 6 as part of the process.

Resource Table Reports

District Management Association

District Management Association representative Karla Frizler highlighted the October 16 management leadership retreat and the recently launched Ask a Manager Zoom series. She also noted that a District committee will be formed to review and update full-time faculty hiring procedures, with DMA representatives and deans from each campus invited to participate.

Academic Senate

Cypress College Academic Senate President Jaclyn Magginetti shared upcoming Senate agenda items, including discussions on the facility security model; zero-cost and open educational resources; the budget process; and the 2026–2027 Academic Calendar.

Fullerton College Academic Senate President Bridget Kominek shared updates from the first Faculty Senate meeting of the year, including bylaw and constitution revisions and discussion of the proposed 2027–2028 Academic Calendar. She also noted upcoming work related to Title II digital accessibility and Fullerton College’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, Adelante.

United Faculty

United Faculty representative Joel Salcedo raised concerns about retired faculty members who were excluded from the recent contingency payment and asked the Board to review the reason for their exclusion and consider whether they should receive payment.

Board of Trustees Reports

NOCE Student Trustee Yellckin Brenes shared that he attended the Community College League of California Student Trustee Workshop, where he learned about student trustees' roles and responsibilities. He also announced efforts to expand NOCE’s Student Leadership Program to increase representation and strengthen student participation.

Fullerton College Student Trustee Samantha Meili shared that the Associated Students semester kickoff drew strong student interest, with new senators preparing to select campus and District committee assignments. She also highlighted Hornet Connect, with more than 40 student clubs participating.

Cypress College Student Trustee Ahmad Haidari shared updates on upcoming technology changes, including the transition from CCCApply to CCCStart. He also addressed Faculty Senate draft resolutions on religious discrimination, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia, emphasizing an inclusive and respectful process.

Board Secretary Mark A. Lopez congratulated the Fullerton College community on the grand opening of Building 300 and thanked voters for supporting the project.

Trustee Dr. Ryan Bent reflected on the grand reopening of Fullerton College Building 300, where he took classes nearly 30 years ago. He shared that skills he learned there helped support his career and expressed appreciation for seeing the building updated.

Board President Dr. Barbara Dunsheath provided an update on SB 960 and AB 2694, noting that the legislation would establish a tiered system limiting the number of baccalaureate degree programs California community college districts may offer, with a maximum of 12. She noted that NOCCCD currently offers three baccalaureate degrees and emphasized that the limits apply at the District level rather than separately to each college.

Next Meeting

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the NOCCCD Board of Trustees will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the Anaheim Campus.