February 27, 2025

Bakersfield College Foundation
Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday, February 27, 2025 @ 3:00 PM
Bakersfield College Campus Center, West Wing, 2nd Floor, Rm. 218
1801 Panorama Drive Bakersfield, CA 93305

Present: Ariana Joven, Chris Hamilton, Deanna Blaise, Derek Jeffery, Derek Yurosek, Dolores Salgado, Frank Wooldridge, Jerry Fliger, John Pitre, Ken Byrum, Marko Zaninovich, Octavio Escobedo, Patrick Wade, Paul Pavletich, Robin McNabb, Vinny Oddo, Queen King, Jessica Wojtysiak

Absent: Billie Jo Rice, Connie Perez-Andreesen, Deanna Blaise, Erica Giblin, Jeff Bell, Karen Zuber, Lauren Skidmore, Ryan Hansen, Tom Ming, LaNina Andrews, Kyle Carter, Sarabjeet Singh

Staff: Kylee Gregory-Gutierrez, Susan Hubbell, Alyssa Cross, Courtney Carter

Guests: Mark Pafford

Meeting Minutes

  1. Call to Order – Derek Yurosek called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m.

  2. Roll Call – Kylee Gregory-Gutierrez took roll call and confirmed a quorum.

  3. Public Comments Statement – Derek Yurosek read the public comments statement. No public comments were received.

  4. Approval of Agenda – Motion – No changes were made to the agenda. Paul Pavletich motioned to approve the agenda as is. Ken Byrum seconded. All were in favor, none opposed. The agenda for February 27, 2025 is APPROVED.

  5. Approval of Meeting Minutes from December 5, 2024 – Motion – There were no amendments to the meeting minutes. Paul Pavletich motioned to approve the minutes. Ariana Joven seconded. All were in favor, none opposed. The meeting minutes for December 5, 2024, are APPROVED.

  6. Quarterly Financial Review – Dr. Queen King provided the quarterly financial update, walking the Board through the balance sheet and the statement of revenue and expenses for all funds, including the BC Foundation’s operations. As of December 31, 2024, total revenue stood at $6,253,155, with expenses totaling $2,903,591—resulting in a net income of $3,349,563.

  7. President’s Update – President Fliger shared the following highlights:
    • March 11 marked his one-year anniversary as president of Bakersfield College.
    • Enrollment is currently at its highest level.
      • There was a temporary decline due to the presence of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the area, but the college’s outreach efforts successfully brought enrollment numbers back up.
    • The ribbon-cutting ceremony was recently held at the Arvin campus.
      • Over 500 students are already enrolled there this semester.
    • The Agriculture Topping-Off Ceremony will be taking place soon, marking another milestone in the progress of that facility.
    • The Renegade Athletic Complex has been completed, providing a new space for student-athletes and the campus community.
    • The CSS (Center for Student Success) building is being rebuilt.
      • An architect has been selected, and groundbreaking is planned for March 2026.
    • Bakersfield College is the first community college in the nation to have an NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) collective, offering new opportunities for student-athletes.
    • A $1.3 million partnership with Amazon will support workforce training.
      • Cohorts will begin in April or May.
      • 75% of the revenue will go to the general college budget.
      • 25% will be directed to the Foundation’s CTE Fund to support workforce development programs.

  8. Executive Director’s Report – Executive Director Cheryl Scott provided several updates during her report to the Board.
    • She shared that the Foundation’s Strategic Development Planning process will officially begin at the May full Board meeting. George Boodrookas will lead an environmental scan with the Board during that meeting, followed by a series of workshops to support the strategic planning process.
    • She reported that 13 Board member terms are set to expire. The current Board includes 22 community members and 6 Bakersfield College representatives. Members were asked to submit Board nominations to Kylee by Friday, March 21.
    • Cheryl also provided an update on the upcoming Sterling Silver event. S.C. Anderson is serving as the Presenting Sponsor, with California Resources Corporation supporting the event as the Champagne & Cocktail Sponsor. Sterling-level sponsors include AC Electric, Colombo Construction, and Dignity Health. To date, 266 seats have been reserved, generating $145,250 in revenue.

  9. Other Business / Adjournment of Meeting – With no other business brought forward, the meeting was adjourned at 4:45 p.m.