Less than two years after Martha Garcia was hired to lead College of the Desert, she is one of five finalists to become the next president of the state’s largest single campus community college district in Walnut, Mt. San Antonio. According to a news release from the college, the candidates, in alphabetical order, are: The final…

PALM DESERT — The question for some College of the Desert leaders isn’t so much what did they know and when did they know it, but better, what did some know and why did they not disclose it? In less than two months, questions have shaken the offices of President Martha Garcia, Trustee Rubén AríAztlán Pérez,…

An effort to recall Bea Gonzalez, who represents area 2 on the College of the Desert Board of Trustees, quickly gathered steam Thursday, Feb. 23, as news of the effort broke. Gonzalez was elected to a four-year term on the board in 2020. Her term runs through 2024. She currently serves as clerk of the board. The…

New designs are expected to take months and may still leave half the 27-acre site undeveloped. When and if a second phase will be developed on the remainder of the land remains unclear. Driving the news: During a regular meeting Thursday morning, the Board narrowly voted to move forward with a plan proposed by Trustee Joel…

The College of the Desert Board of Trustees voted to move forward with amended plans for the Palm Springs campus. The catch: the plans approved don’t entirely exist. Approved plans will ultimately be a blend of incomplete designs drawn prior to 2021 with new additions that need to be made. Plans from 2021 are about…

PALM DESERT — The College of the Desert Board of Trustees on Thursday appointed a subcommittee of Fred Jandt and Bonnie Stefan to review allegations against Trustee Rubén Pérez as part of an ethics probe. The ethics probe is in response to written complaints against Trustee Pérez for College of the Desert’s Code of Ethics…

PALM DESERT — The ultimate 3-2 approval of the College of the Desert Palm Springs schematic design dated March 23, 2021, paled in comparison to the series of bombshells newly elected Area 4 Trustee Joel Kinnamon lobbed with a sense of calm, self-confidence and lack of theatrics. Kinnamon; Trustee Area 3 and Vice Chair Fred…

College of the Desert Board of Trustees approved a motion today to combine aspects of two separate schematic designs for the proposed Palm Springs Campus Development Project. The motion was written and proposed by current Trustee and former COD Superintendent/President Dr. Joel Kinnamon, and reads as follows: Motion that the Palm Springs schematic design dated March…

“I completely disagree with the censureship as it is my First Amendment right to speak my thoughts and feel this is a violation of that constitutional right. Furthermore, my constituents elected me to speak truth to power and this censureship would prevent those same constituents who have historically been silenced to continue to be silenced. I know…

PALM DESERT — Much of Joel Kinnamon’s campaign was built on the platform of “Getting COD Back on Track” by expressing his commitment to the public of providing accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility. He’s wasting no time in making good on that commitment. He boldly called for a forensic audit in January at his first meeting…