The Yavapai College District Governing Board has officially initiated a national search for its next permanent president, targeting a leadership transition to be completed by early next year. Governing Board Chairman Steve Bracety (District 5) announced the formal launch of the search during an August 11 meeting, outlining an aggressive timeline aimed at conducting final candidate interviews by mid-November and seating the new president in January.
As the institution navigates this critical transitional phase, Provost Dr. Doug Berry is serving as interim president. The search process, however, has already exposed deep political and procedural divisions within the five-member governing board. A contentious 3-1 vote on August 17 to award a $70,000 executive search contract has highlighted ongoing debates regarding board authority, upcoming local elections, and the legacy of the college’s previous administration.
Chronology of the Leadership Transition
The current search process is the culmination of rapid administrative shifts that began in the summer of 2026. Below is the timeline of events leading to the current presidential search:
- May 2018: Dr. Penny Wills, the predecessor to former President Dr. Lisa Rhine, announces her retirement from Yavapai College, establishing a seven-month transition window before her departure in December.
- December 2018: Dr. Wills officially steps down.
- February 2019: Following a national search, the Governing Board hires Dr. Lisa Rhine as the college’s next permanent president.
- July 2026: The Governing Board places Dr. Rhine on paid administrative leave.
- August 7, 2026: The college formally designates Provost Dr. Doug Berry as acting president, complying with Governing Board Policy 405 regarding presidential succession.
- August 11, 2026: Board Chairman Steve Bracety announces that the official search for a permanent president is underway, with final interviews projected for the week of Monday, November 16, 2026.
- August 17, 2026: During a special meeting, the board votes 3-1 to approve a $70,000 contract with Phoenix-based executive search firm Cizek Associates and appoints two board members as search committee liaisons.
- September 1, 2026: Dr. Rhine’s contract to become the next president of Central Arizona College in Coolidge officially begins. The Yavapai College board votes to interpret her acceptance of this position as a de facto resignation.
- November 2026: General elections are scheduled for the District 5 board seat (currently held by Bracety) and the vacant District 4 seat.
- January 2027: The planned start date for the newly appointed permanent president of Yavapai College.
[July 2026: Dr. Rhine Placed on Paid Leave]
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[Aug 7, 2026: Dr. Doug Berry Named Acting President]
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[Aug 11, 2026: Search Announced & Timeline Established]
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[Aug 17, 2026: $70K Cizek Contract Approved (3-1 Vote)]
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[Sept 1, 2026: Dr. Rhine Assumes Central AZ College Presidency]
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[Nov 2026: Board Elections (Districts 4 & 5) / Finalist Interviews]
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[Jan 2027: Planned Seating of New Permanent President]Supporting Data and Institutional Context
Yavapai College serves as a vital educational and economic driver for Yavapai County, Arizona, an area spanning more than 8,000 square miles. The college operates campuses and centers across two distinct geographic regions separated by Mingus Mountain—commonly referred to locally as "both sides of the mountain." This geographic division separates the Prescott metropolitan area in the west from the Verde Valley in the east, creating distinct demographic, economic, and political priorities that the college’s leadership must balance.
The Search Firm Contract
The Governing Board’s 3-1 vote on August 17 authorized a contract with Cizek Associates, a Phoenix-based executive search firm.
- Base Contract Cost: $70,000 flat fee.
- Excluded Fees: Out-of-pocket expenses (such as travel, lodging, and candidate hosting) are not included in the base fee and will be billed separately.
- Scope of Services: Cizek Associates is tasked with marketing the vacancy, conducting preliminary candidate screenings, executing initial interviews, providing progress reports to the search committee, and coordinating final campus interviews.
- Firm Track Record: Cizek Associates has specialized in higher education executive recruitment for approximately 30 years. The firm has a pre-existing relationship with Yavapai College, having managed the recruitment process that resulted in the hiring of Dr. Doug Berry as provost in 2023, as well as a vice-presidential search in 2013.
Governing Board Policy Framework
The search process is governed by specific institutional policies designed to maintain administrative continuity:
- Governing Board Policy 405 (Presidential Succession): Mandates that in the event of a presidential vacancy, an acting president must be selected from the senior members of the college’s executive leadership team. This policy dictated the immediate appointment of Dr. Berry. The policy further dictates that if a vacancy becomes permanent, the board must initiate a "widely advertised search" to find a successor.
- Governing Board Policy 310 (Code of Ethics): Regulates board conduct, communication, and professional boundaries. This policy became a point of historical comparison during board debates regarding the timing of the search.
Official Responses and Boardroom Debates
The decision to move forward with an immediate search and contract Cizek Associates sparked sharp debate during the August 17 special meeting, exposing long-standing friction among trustees.
Opposing Arguments from Trustee Deb McCasland
District 2 Representative Deb McCasland cast the sole dissenting vote against both the search contract and the appointment of the board liaisons. McCasland argued that initiating a high-profile search in the late summer of 2026 is premature, pointing to the upcoming November elections.
"There might be a new board beginning in January," McCasland noted, referencing the upcoming election for Bracety’s District 5 seat and the current vacancy in District 4. She argued that the incoming board should have the authority to select the search firm and direct the succession process. McCasland also questioned the selection of Cizek Associates, stating she had never heard of the firm and expressing a preference for the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), which had facilitated previous presidential searches for the institution.
Furthermore, McCasland asserted her unique position on the board regarding executive transitions. "I’m the only board member that knows how to do [a presidential search]," she said. "I hope I’m involved in that process. Also, there’s no rush, Dr. Berry is doing a great job."
McCasland also leveled criticism at her fellow trustees regarding the departure of Dr. Lisa Rhine. "The college conducts the search, we have a great format and a job description that we have for Dr. Rhine," McCasland said. "I guess you don’t really care about that, because you fired her."
Rebuttals from Board Majority and Administration
Board members and college administrators pushed back against McCasland’s assertions, defending both the timeline and the choice of vendor.
District 1 Representative Bill Kiel challenged McCasland’s objections regarding the upcoming election and board transition, pointing to past board behavior.
"I will remind you that after I was elected and before I was seated, the board decided to institute Board Policy 310 [the Code of Ethics] that was going to impact the future board prior to allowing me to be seated, even though the election was completed," Kiel countered. "If you’re going to criticize this board for that, I would suggest that you look at prior actions that the board [has] taken."
Historical records also run contrary to McCasland’s claim of exclusive expertise in presidential searches. Minutes from the May 23, 2018, governing board meeting show that during the search to replace Dr. Penny Wills, McCasland moved to place herself on the presidential search committee, but her motion was defeated in a 3-2 vote. Consequently, she did not serve on the committee that selected Dr. Rhine. Additionally, McCasland was elected to the board in 2014, three years after Dr. Wills was hired in 2011.
Addressing the accusation that the board "fired" Dr. Rhine, board leadership clarified the legal and administrative reality of her departure. Dr. Rhine was placed on paid administrative leave in July 2026, but she was never terminated, nor did she formally resign at that time. Instead, she subsequently signed an employment agreement to become the president of Central Arizona College. The Yavapai College board formally voted to interpret her acceptance of that outside presidency as a de facto resignation from her position at Yavapai.
Administrative Setup and Committee Composition
To oversee the day-to-day operations of the search, the board voted 3-1 (with McCasland opposed) to appoint Chairman Steve Bracety and Board Secretary Toby Payne (District 3) as official board liaisons to the search committee.
Chief Human Resources Officer Janet Nix explained that this structure provides necessary administrative agility. "I don’t do this in a vacuum," Nix said, explaining that having two designated board liaisons allows her to receive consistent guidance without the administrative burden of bringing minor operational decisions before the full board. "Usually the board chair is the person I go to, but because of the circumstances, I feel like having two—so there’s backup—is appropriate."
McCasland expressed skepticism about this arrangement, stating, "In my opinion and what I’ve seen in the past, the board doesn’t weigh in until the very end. The committee does the screening, scanning, interviews and talking to them. We go to the public sessions but we don’t have a role there except for soliciting."
Trustee Payne emphasized the need for diverse community representation on the search committee, advocating for the inclusion of long-time local stakeholders and representatives from the region’s Native American communities.
Chairman Bracety agreed, highlighting the geographical and demographic balance required for a county-wide institution. He noted the committee should represent "both sides of the mountain," incorporating established civic leaders alongside newer residents who are raising families and represents the college’s future student demographic.
Implications for Yavapai College and Regional Governance
The decision to move forward with an aggressive search timeline carries significant implications for Yavapai College’s institutional stability, fiscal management, and community relations.
Institutional Stability and Leadership Continuity
By maintaining Dr. Doug Berry as interim president, the college has secured short-term operational continuity. Dr. Berry’s experience as provost provides stability for the faculty and administration. However, interim presidencies inherently limit an institution’s ability to execute long-term strategic plans or commit to major capital projects. The board’s push to secure a permanent president by January reflects a desire to minimize this transitional window and establish a clear direction for the upcoming academic years.
Electoral and Governance Risks
The decision to conduct the search immediately before the November election introduces a degree of political uncertainty. If the upcoming election alters the composition of the Governing Board, the newly seated board in January will inherit a president-elect selected by their predecessors. This scenario—often referred to as a "lame-duck" appointment—can sometimes lead to friction between a new board and a newly hired executive.
Conversely, delaying the search until after the new board is seated in January would have pushed the hiring process into late spring or summer of 2027, leaving the college under interim leadership for nearly a year. The board majority’s vote indicates a consensus that the risks of prolonged interim leadership outweigh the potential political complications of an impending board transition.
Public Trust and Geographic Representation
Yavapai County’s unique geography means the search committee’s composition will be closely watched by residents in both the Prescott and Verde Valley regions. Historically, residents of the Verde Valley have advocated for equitable resource allocation and representation relative to the more populated Prescott area. By explicitly calling for committee representation from "both sides of the mountain," as well as Native American representation, board leadership is attempting to build public trust and ensure that the next president possesses the diplomatic and administrative skills necessary to serve a geographically fragmented constituency.
