The Peralta Board of Trustees met for a regular meeting on April 27th. The meeting opened up with board vice president Nicky González Yuen listing off new employee appointments made in closed session. He announced that Natalie Rodrigues will be director of student activities and campus life from April 28, 2021 to June 30, 2023 at College of Alameda. Garth Kweicein will be vice president of administrative services from May 10, 2021 to June 30, 2023 at Merritt College. Lastly, Immaculate Adesida was announced director of human resources from May 17, 2021 to June 30, 2023 in the district office.
New interim chancellor Jannett Jackson spoke for the first time as chancellor in the meeting about some of her future goals. She started off by mentioning her plan for Peralta she calls “Back to the future.”
“We have been the standard bearers in this region in the past, and we must go back to those roots. To reaffirm our commitment to our students and to our community. Those actions will then guide us as we move into the future,” Jackson described.
Following Chancellor Jackson’s message, there was a presentation for the possible development of a new urban style building on the BCC campus. Contracts with XL Construction Corporation state that the budget for this project is not to exceed $65,400,000. The project at 2118 Milvia St. will require the demolition of a current existing building that takes up around 25,000 square feet. The area will be replaced with a new six story, 60,000 square foot building. Although the building will not directly connect to the BCC campus, it will be constructed just an intersection away from the Center St. campus.
Berkeley City College (BCC) President Dr. Angélica Garcia gave a heavy-hearted speech about 18-year-old BCC student Demitrius Roosevelt Fleming, who was tragically killed by a stray bullet in West Oakland on April 10. “I’m heartbroken by this tragedy, another senseless killing in our community and our African-American communities,” Garcia explained.
She closed out the meeting by honoring Fleming, taking a moment to recognize him as a student and pay respects to his friends, family and those affected by this tragedy. “We celebrate him, we uplift him and his family and his community,” Garcia concluded.
