College of Marin: A Turnaround Update from Phil Kranenburg - Fall 2011

By Philip J. "Phil" Kranenburg

Before I joined the Board at the College of Marin eight years ago, the College had been going through a crisis - unable to govern itself effectively. Since then, the College has improved its effectiveness as an educational institution through program review, shared governance, facility modernization and prudent fiscal management. We all feel a renewed confidence on campus.

As a current trustee, I have worked for you these past eight years to improve the College of Marin. We have accomplished a lot during this time. And yet, the end of my term comes at a critical juncture in the College's turnaround, especially in light of the current economic climate in the state and nationally. It's imperative that we maintain a high quality and stable community college + one that can maximize its offerings to the community. I strongly believe that it is important for me to continue to lend my experience and skills to the community by serving another term on the Board of the College of Marin.

Competence at Board Level The Board needs to be focused on the common good of students by managing the College's limited resources prudently. I am the only current board member and candidate with substantial relevant business experience ‒ steeped in almost thirty years of finance and technology, including as a Certified Public Accountant ‒ who can provide a critical combination of business and financial expertise. I believe these skills and knowledge contribute significantly to the Board's ability to govern well.

Over the past eight years, I have acted as a prime driving force in turning around the College in every area ‒ finance, operations, sustainability, policy and infrastructure. I have worked closely with the superintendent and the Board to enhance the College and student learning. Of all the candidates running for election, I am the best prepared to address the challenges that lie ahead as they relate to directing common resources, budgets, and finances appropriately, while continuing to implement the current facilities modernization projects. In these historically turbulent times, it is critical that I continue directing improvements to the College through my strong expertise in these areas.

The Importance of Fiscal Discipline As a seasoned business and financial professional, my role on the Board has been to ensure that it operates with best practices, updates its policies and maintains a sustainable fiscal profile. My financial and economic expertise has allowed me to ably guide the College through very difficult financial times. In a recessionary economic environment, it is very challenging to reduce expenses while maintaining a strong academic program. How does the College implement the necessary adjustments to weather the tough times while saving jobs and not reducing classes? Through careful planning, which starts in good economic times and anticipates bumps along the way.

For example, while others were willing to increase expenses significantly in the good times, I encouraged the Board to act conservatively and bolster its financial reserves. As the economy fell into crisis and college revenues weakened, I remained focused on keeping faculty and programs in place by making tough choices. These included sacrificing bigger compensation increases in favor of more modest ones so that the College could avert lay-offs. While some employees were certainly not happy at the time, in the long run, this decision allowed us to keep stability within the faculty and student body.

Some thought that we were being too tough or unfair. But, by plotting a disciplined financial course, the College has been able to survive the worst of the economic crisis in much better shape than most other community colleges in the state.

We Have Modernized Our Facilities When I joined the Board, the College's facilities were in the worst shape of any community college state-wide. I played an instrumental role in raising a $249.5 million bond to modernize our facilities. We are two-thirds through this modernization process and have saved a significant amount of money through proper planning and a steady focus on containing costs.

Alternative energy and energy efficiency projects have been integral to our modernization, and they will yield cost savings in the years to come. In fact, in my role as Board Chair, I received (on behalf of the Board) the Pioneer Award from Green Technology, a non-profit initiative designed to inform government efforts toward sustainability.

The Board and administration have gone to great lengths to incorporate community input into the planning of these improvements. After all, we are here to serve the community. And, a majority of community members have provided valuable insights and feedback that we have directly incorporated into our modernization efforts. While a small minority has opposed and slowed down our progress, we have responded by addressing their concerns as best we can while still keeping on course, which is to serve the greater good. I am confident that the final project will meet our collective goals and turn the College into an exceptional educational environment for everyone.

Summary of Accomplishments

My accomplishments on the governance team over the last eight years include:

• Reaffirmed accreditation. When I joined the Board, the College's processes, finances and operations were so substandard that it had been placed on probation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges + a serious situation. I supported changes and provided leadership that led to a reaffirmed accreditation for the College.
• Improved the financial condition of the College from one of the worst in the state to one of the best, leading to an AA credit rating.
• I directed that reserves be increased from the low single digits to the mid-to-high double digits. Reserves were as low as 3% when I joined the Board. They were over 14% for this last fiscal year ending June 30th, helping protect the College from further potential economic hardships.
• I directed that a $1 million reserve be established to pay down past healthcare-related unfunded liabilities, reducing this liability to $5.6 million + a significant milestone for a local governmental entity.
• I helped raise $249.5 million in financing for the modernization of the facilities.
• I promoted financial and accounting processes that are transparent and professional.
• Proposed an enrollment program that increased headcount back to a significant level following a period of neglect and mismanagement and doubled the enrollment at the Indian Valley campus.
• Encouraged partnerships and workforce development that have resulted in new and stronger programs over the last 6 years. I supported and advocated for outside funding and grants that have yielded $4.6 million for the College and resulted in the following programs:
  

- Healthcare through a simulation lab that is serving over 700 participants per year;
- Multimedia;
- Environment with solar installer integration class;
- Transportation technology, including new electric vehicle conversion class; and,
- Early childhood education classes.

These programs have resulted in the College's ability to serve a growing population of students while enabling an increase of Marin County employment and local economic improvement.

Working Together to Achieve Common Goals When I joined the Board, an enormous amount of friction existed among the Board, faculty, administration and students. And, during these past eight years, our cohesion was repeatedly tested as we wrestled with tough decisions. Now, however, we all feel a renewed confidence and spirit of collaboration at the College. Our decision-making is rightfully focused on the students and their needs, and on bringing the community more opportunities for learning and growth. We must maintain this focus and attention. Please help re-elect me to the Board.