Diné College Board Taps Greg Bigman to Continue Board Chairmanship for 5th Term
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 2, 2019
TSAILE, Ariz. — The Diné College Board of Regents held its annual board meeting Wednesday and elected new officers and heard reports from several special college committees.
And, Diné College President Charles Monty Roessel asked faculty and staff to keep up the good work and progress.
“How do we grow every department and every school at this college?” Roessel asked. “Everybody in this room chooses to be at Diné College because it’s the best college out there.”
Roessel stated that there is an estimated $3 billion earned and given back to the Navajo Nation. He said the college’s low tuition rate at $55 per credit hour makes it the lowest and most affordable institution in Arizona and that fact makes Diné College unique.
“We want students to be debt free after they get a bachelor’s degree,” Roessel said. “Part of this is an opportunity to build the Navajo Nation economy.”
The college starts off its new fiscal year, 2019 to 2020, with a $23 million annual budget. The amount represents a $179,000 increase from the past fiscal year.
Vice President of Finance Bo Lewis informed that the college received a “clean audit” for fiscal 2017-2018, with a single finding in the timeliness of the college’s month end closing. “This finding is being addressed by the accounting staff,” Lewis said.
In Board of Regents action, Greg Bigman was selected by fellow board members to serve a continuous fifth term as board president. Bigman is from the Shiprock, N.M. area and represents the Northern Agency on the board. The selection was done on a nomination by Tommy Lewis. Lewis, who is the superintendent of Diné Schools, nominated Theresa Hatathlie as vice president. Both received unanimous votes from the full panel.
Retired educator Johnson Dennison nominated student representative Letanya Thinn as board secretary. Thinn declined the nomination due to school obligations. Similarly, Regent Sharon Todacheenie nominated Anderson Hoskie who declined. Todacheenie was selected on a nomination by Lewis and Lewis was selected treasurer on a nomination by Hatathlie.
Navajo Nation Council Delegate and Chairman of the Council’s Health, Education and Human Services Committee, Daniel Tso, appointed to the Board of Regents in March, was unable to attend the meeting. The board president position is for one year.
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CONTACT US
Marie R. Etsitty Nez
Vice President of External Affairs
marienez@dinecollege.edu
928-724-6985
George Joe, M.A., M.Ed, Director Of Marketing and Communications
grjoe@dinecollege.edu
928-724-6695
Bernie Dotson, Public Relations Officer
bdotson@dinecollege.edu
928-724-6697
