Pima Community College continues to βflirt with disasterβ in its record-keeping for students who served in the military, says its former head of veteran services, who recently quit after 18 months on the job.
Daniel L. Kester resigned his $80,000 a year position effective April 30. The Arizona Daily Star obtained a copy of his resignation letter through a public-records request.
Chancellor Lee Lambert hired Kester in October 2014 to improve the schoolβs troubled veterans services systems and to serve as key compliance officer for state and federal regulations affecting veterans.
One of Kesterβs first tasks was to oversee cleanup of PCC record-keeping mistakes that caused some veterans to receive more student aid than they were entitled to, money they later had to repay.
In an April 7 resignation letter addressed to the chancellor, Kester said conditions at PCC are such that he hasnβt been able to accomplish what he was hired for.
He blamed a flawed job description, disrespectful staff members and a βclear lack of institutional will to support veteran students.β
βIβve tried everything I can think of to design and implement a plan for Pima College to recover from years of VA records violations,β Kester wrote. βIt is untenable for me to continue trying against all odds.
βA large number of the components of the veteran turnaround plan that you and I signed (are) still left untouched,β he told Lambert.
βWe continue to flirt with disaster as the (federal veterans agency) could audit any day now and we still have over 1,500 files backlogged,β he said.
PCC officials dispute Kesterβs claim that much of what he was hired to do remains undone.
βThe college does not agree with several of Dr. Kesterβs statements,β said an email from Paul Schwalbach of the marketing and communications department.
PCC βhas made a priority of supporting veterans and this is especially important to the chancellor, who is a veteran,β Schwalbach said.
He cited several positive changes under the Lambert administration, such as hiring more veterans support personnel, increasing the total number from less than five to 13. The college also assigned a vice president βto supervise Dr. Kester directly,β he said
The β1,500 files backloggedβ in Kesterβs letter is overstated, Schwalbach said. About 800 files of former students are awaiting inspection for deficiencies as PCC prepares for its next scheduled federal compliance audit in October, he said.
Kester who has served on active duty, in the Air National Guard, and as a superintendent at the 612th Air and Space Operations Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, declined to comment on his resignation letter when contacted by the Star.
PCC board chairman Mark Hanna said the board was not made aware of Kesterβs resignation letter. He said Lambert has assured him that the situation is under control and has appointed a temporary replacement.
Hector Acosta, a longtime program manager at PCCβs Desert Vista Campus and a retired Army officer, has assumed the position on an acting basis.
PCC typically serves between 1,000 and 1,500 students a year who receive veterans educational benefits.
