District swears in 2 familiar faces

Michael Miller

The Coast Community College District passed two torches Wednesday

night, as Mary Hornbuckle was sworn in as the fifth member of the

board of trustees and Bob Dees as the new Orange Coast College

president.

Hornbuckle, a former Costa Mesa mayor and councilwoman, joined the

board of trustees after the other four members chose her in an

interview process last month. She replaces Paul Berger, a longtime

member of the board who died in January.

The meeting began with a cake-cutting ceremony to honor

Hornbuckle, who also serves as director of St. Mark Community

Preschool in Newport Beach and belongs to the Orange Coast College

Alumni Hall of Fame.

“We’re really looking forward to Mary’s expertise with the many

challenges that are coming to our board and the district,” said board

president Walt Howald. “Many of us have known Mary through the City

Council and education matters over the years. She’s rapidly garnering

expertise from preschool through community college.”

Hornbuckle said she was looking forward to her tasks ahead on the

board, citing the construction at Orange Coast College and the plan

to move the district offices as two major concerns.

“I’m really thrilled to be chosen, and I’m delighted to be here

tonight to start the work,” Hornbuckle said. “There are a lot of

major challenges that will be facing the district, and I’m pleased to

be a contributing member.”

Later in the meeting, the board voted, 4-0, to accept Dees, then

Orange Coast College’s vice president, as the ninth president of the

campus. Dees replaced Gene Farrell, who retired from his post at the

end of March. Hornbuckle, who did not participate in the interview

process for Dees’ position, abstained from voting but told Dees that

“your selection has been admirable.”

“I’m really pleased,” Dees said about his appointment as

president. “I’m delighted, and I’m very grateful.”

At the Wednesday meeting, the board voted unanimously to formally

adopt Orange Coast College’s academic, facility and technology master

plans, which the college adopted last fall. The plans entail a

sweeping renovation of the campus that includes adding new buildings

and updating old ones and also installing a new library and arts

pavilion.

Dees said that some of the work on the master plan has already

been done, due to a ballot measure in 2002 that allocated $370

million to the college district, but that the board’s adoption made

the plans official. In the future, he added, the board may have to

approve individual plans for architecture and construction on the

campus.