NPC Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting
The National Park College Board of Trustees met in a regular session on August 27, 2025, beginning at 3:30 PM. Trustees present were Mike Bush, Jim Hale, Rhonda Harrington, Bev Joe, Joel Newburn, Lance Porter, Forrest Spicher, Renee Westfall, and Raymond Wright. Trustee Westfall exited the meeting at 3:45 PM.
Staff, faculty members, and guests present were Chuck Argo, Thia Armstrong, David Braden, Blake Butler, Ron Chesser, Kaylee Coburn, Sarah Day, Wade Derden, Daisy Dollar, Jessica Ellis, Louie Elsom, Kelli Embry, Arrayon Farlough-Rollins, Kathy Flournoy, Leane Hardin, Nicole Herndon, Henry High, John and Dorelle Hogan, Brad Hopper, Michelle Hurst, Janice Ivers, Raymond Jordan, Brian Kroening, Nathan Looper, Jennifer Lyons, Kimee Mason, Rose Milnes, Ayden Parsons, Emily Pyland, Kristin Quintanilla, Bill Ritter, Stephanie Rizzo, Knoa Smith, Rich Thompson, Darla Thurber, Pastor Lamar Trieschmann, Tim Webb, and Megan Wheeler.
The media was notified of the meeting. Brandon Smith with the Sentinel Record was in attendance.
Chair Jim Hale opened the meeting with a welcome at 3:30 PM.
Sarah Day took roll call. A quorum was present.
Pastor Lamar Trieschmann with Grace Church provided the invocation.
Sarah Day introduced John and Dorelle Hogan, past NPC President; David Braden, Michelle Hurst, and Arrayon Farlough-Rollins with Servitas; Darla Thurber introduced Thia Armstrong with Servitas. Ms. Armstrong introduced the NPC Residence Hall RAs: Knoa Smith, Ayden Parsons, Raymond Jordan, Henry High, Daisy Dollar, Kaylee Coburn, Kimee Mason, and Louie Elsom; Chair Hale introduced the Spotlight on Success speaker, Ron Chesser.
Items for Action
- Trustee Wright motioned to approve the June 25, 2025, executive session minutes as presented. Trustee Joe seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Trustee Bush motioned to approve the June 25, 2025, regular meeting minutes as presented. Trustee Harrington seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Trustee Spicher motioned to approve the June 2025 financial statements as presented by Megan Wheeler, NPC Controller, during the Finance Committee Meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
- Trustee Bush motioned to approve the August Personnel Ratifications as presented by Kathy Flournoy, NPC Director of Human Resources. Trustee Porter seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Items for Report
- Trustee Wright asked Brad Hopper, NPC Associate VP of Campus Operations, to provide the Building and Campus Development report. Mr. Hopper provided a PowerPoint presentation that included an update on the welding facility project and recent health and safety trainings held at the fall workshop for all NPC staff and faculty.
- NPC Librarian, Kristin Quintanilla, provided a report on NPC library services. Ms. Quintanilla summarized the library’s summer activities, including a complete digitization of all past board meeting minutes. Quintanilla also shared new plans for the fall to include adding weekend hours and an athlete study hall sign-in system.
- President's Report – President Derden expressed appreciation for a well-attended grand opening of Redbud Hall. Derden recapped the student return to campus, specifically the successful move-in days and the faculty/staff participation in welcoming new students during the first two days of classes. Dr. Derden ended by sharing his challenge to NPC staff and faculty to embrace a mindset of change, to challenge the status quo, and to lean into the “Learning is our focus” portion of the college's mission statement, transforming the college into a learning campus for everyone, students, staff, and faculty alike.
- New Business – Chair Hale had no new business to report.
There was no further business.
Chair Hale asked for further comment from the trustees.
- Trustee Spicher shared his pleasure at having Dr. John Hogan and his wife, Dorelle, present for the Redbud Hall grand opening and for the board meeting.
- Trustee Wright expressed his appreciation for a wonderful ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of Redbud Hall.
Trustee Spicher motioned to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 4:08 PM.
Jim Hale, Chair
Raymond Wright, Secretary/Treasurer