SEDALIA—The State Fair Community College Faculty Association and the Professional and Classified Staff Associations will host a Board of Trustees candidate forum at 6 p.m. March 22 in the Heckart Science and Allied Health Center’s Thompson Conference Center. The event is free and open to the public.
Four candidates are vying for two open seats on the SFCC Board of Trustees. The terms of Board President Gary Noland and Trustee Randall D. Eaton will expire. Noland did not file for re-election. Eaton is seeking another term. He will face Nick La Strada, Justin Hubbs and Marlin Hammond in the April 5 election.
The associations will collect questions from SFCC faculty and staff in advance of the event. Those who attend may submit questions in writing at the event. Each candidate will give opening remarks before responding to questions.
“We believe it’s important to give our faculty and staff, and voters in the taxing district, an opportunity to learn about the candidates before the election,” said SFCC Faculty Association President Sarah Nail, who is a speech instructor. “The board makes important decisions that direct the future of the college. We should strive to make the most informed decision at the ballot box.”
History instructor Michael Davis, a member of the Faculty Association’s executive board, will serve as moderator.
The college’s taxing district includes Pettis County, most of Benton County and the city of Otterville. Voters in these areas elect trustees to serve on SFCC’s governing board. Trustees are elected to serve six-year terms and oversee an annual budget of about $27 million in addition to making operational and strategic planning decisions for the college. SFCC serves a total of 14 counties including Benton, Camden, Carroll, Cole, Cooper, Henry, Hickory, Johnson, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Pettis, Saline, and St. Clair.
For more information about the forum, contact Nail at (660) 596-7336 or snail1@sfccmo.edu.
