Tucson’s deputy city manager has been appointed to fill a crucial vacancy on the governing board of Pima Community College.
Martha Durkin will serve until the end of next year as the board’s District 5 representative, helping to steer the school through challenging times as it tries to shed an accreditor’s sanction.
Pima County School Superintendent Linda Arzoumanian made the appointment decision Saturday. Arzoumanian was responsible for choosing a replacement board member after Marty Cortez, who held the seat for 20 years, recently resigned.
Arzoumanian chose Durkin “for having a background that matches the challenges of Pima Community College moving forward,” a news release from the superintendent’s office said.
Durkin, 57, has two decades of work experience at public institutions, her application for the PCC board seat shows.
Before assuming her role as deputy city manager, she worked as an assistant to Pima County’s administrator, as a chief deputy attorney for the city of Tucson, and as general counsel for Tucson Unified School District.
She also is a member of the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona board of directors.
“Ms. Durkin will be able to help the board and the college to rebuild the integrity in the management of its program to promote transparency and openness,” the news release said.
Durkin’s arrival is expected to a new chapter in PCC’s recent troubled past. With Cortez gone, the board no longer will be dominated by members who were faulted for lax governance by PCC’s accreditor, which has had the college under sanction since 2013.
Durkin was one of five hopefuls interviewed for the PCC post. Two others dropped out before the interview stage.
Durkin’s term expires at the end of next year. A special election for the seat will be held in fall 2016.
