10/2 – Special to the Desert Sun – Ron Oden: ‘Our dreams will be realized with COD’s West Valley plans’ (subscribers only)

To summarize, Ron Oden has pledged to be a watch dog as a COD trustee and a member of our shared desert community, for our upcoming West Valley campus projects. Excerted from Ron Oden: If you take away a young person’s education, you take away an important asset that will shape their future – an…

Palm Springs Post – New leadership brings renewed optimism to College of the Desert West Valley projects

New members of the College of the Desert (COD) administration brought renewed optimism to a community event held here Wednesday evening. In May, Oden was sworn into the role to fill the vacancy left by Fred Jandt, who resigned earlier this year due to health concerns. Another new face joined him: Laura Hope, serving as…

TRUSTEE BEA GONZALEZ HAS PROVED AGAIN THAT SHE HAS NO INTENTION OF WORKING FOR THE STUDENTS OR FOR THE BETTERMENT OF COD

Just when we thought replacing two members of the COD Board of Trustee’s with two qualified and professional members (Trustee Joel Kinnamon and Trustee Ron Oden) would help the majority of the Board eliminate the questionable and in some cases unethical behavior – we were again proven wrong. Trustee Bea Gonzalez, unable to accept the…

UKEN REPORT 8/16 – WHO WILL REPLACE FORMER TRUSTEE FRED JANDT ON CENSURE PANEL?

An effort to censure Area 1 Trustee Rubén Pérez ignited in January and quickly fizzled out when former Trustee Fred Jandt resigned for health reasons. But a few embers remained, and trustees are poised to stir them when trustees meet in regular session Friday. In response to written complaints against Pérez, alleging violations of Code…

Desert Sun 7/23 – Palm Springs is an oasis for tourists, but not for the area’s majority low-income students

By providing access to higher education across the valley, primarily in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs and Rancho Mirage, that focus on our local industries, we can provide better-paying jobs, services and taxes to our cities.. Part of the problem is a lack of exposure to higher education. Although Cal State San Bernardino…

The Desert Sun 7/21 – COD trustee files complaint with DA alleging use of school resources to influence election

An attorney for College of the Desert Trustee Joel Kinnamon has filed a complaint asking the Riverside County District Attorney to prosecute the college’s former president and the trustee who Kinnamon unseated in last year’s election over what the attorney says were illegal efforts to support the trustee’s campaign and harm Kinnamon’s. Full article here

KESQ 7/20 – COD trustee calls for criminal investigation into illegal use of college resources to impact election

College of the Desert (COD) Trustee Dr. Joel Kinnamon is pursuing a criminal investigation against his former opponent, the college’s former president, and its former attorney – alleging illegal use of college resources to negatively impact his campaign during last fall’s trustee election. After defeating Aurora Wilson in the Area 4 trustee election, Kinnamon said…

Bea Gonzalez blocks building the West Valley COD Campus.  Why?

Bea Gonzalez says, “It’s good for me.” Shame on her! The victims are students who desperately need educational opportunities. Shame on you Bea Gonzalez for failing to represent the needs of your constituents.  Join other taxpayers and college students and voice your concerns by contacting Bea Gonzalez’s office at 760-773-2500 or email her at bgonzalez@collegeofthedesert.edu. https://youtu.be/nw86hXTbt8U

The Desert Sun 6/15 – College of the Desert names new interim leader from Inland Empire’s Chaffey College

The College of the Desert Board of Trustees has named Laura Hope of Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga as COD’s interim superintendent/president effective July 1, pending an employment agreement. Hope was selected from four candidates that interviewed with the COD board at a meeting behind closed doors earlier in June, Board Chair Bonnie Stefan announced Thursday….