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Decisions made by our elected officials are frequently scrutinized. As taxpayers, it is our right to ask questions and demand accountability for the management of public funds. Whether it’s a city council or the county board of supervisors, these officials oversee substantial budgets, and public oversight ensures transparency.
An important way to maintain public integrity and retain that transparency is an ongoing requirement for elected officials to disclose their affiliation with entities that may do business within their jurisdictions. In addition to disclosure, if an elected official has an affiliation with such an entity they must abstain from voting. Completion of an annual Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) provides this transparency to the public.
But what about non-elected public school administrators?
Responsible for the finances of Orange County’s public schools and colleges, these administrators are not elected by the public but are also subject to the same disclosures as our elected officials. They too, must complete an annual Statement of Economic Interests form.
The difference is no one seems to ask any questions about these administrators who manage budgets that often exceed those of many cities in Orange County.
Last year I wrote about two former Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) administrators, John Didion and Peter Hardash. Both served as directors of a private insurance company, Captive Insurance for Public Agencies (CIPA) which did business with the RSCCD at the same time the two were employed by the college district.
CIPA managed millions of dollars in bond construction insurance for the RSCCD. Didion and Hardash, however are not the only Orange County public school administrators involved with this insurance company.
Credit: NOCCCD
Fred Williams, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Facilities for the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD), also serves as a director of CIPA.
Serving as a director of an insurance company is not like holding a leadership role in a community organization.
Between 2019 and 2022, NOCCCD, allocated a total of $3.8 million for bond construction insurance.
In October 2018, six months before NOCCCD issued its first payment of $2.14 million, Williams in his capacity as a director of CIPA attended its board meeting in Hawaii, staying at the five-star Fairmont Orchid. His Statement of Economic Interests makes no mention of this trip.
When asked, NOCCCD’s Public Affairs Director stated that elected trustee Ed Lopez was unaware of Williams’ affiliation with CIPA and could not recall any prior disclosure.
In October 2020, Williams was in Hawaii again in his role as a director of CIPA. He stayed two nights at the Aulani Hotel.
Again, his Statement of Economic Interests makes no reference to this trip.
As Vice-Chancellor, Williams’ primary fiduciary responsibility is to NOCCCD. Directing taxpayer funds to a private company while simultaneously serving as its director and participating in costly travel to Hawaii without disclosure raises serious questions.
Regrettably, no one has asked even one.
Dr. Barry Resnick retired in 2022 after 42 years as a professor of counseling with the Rancho Santiago CCD. He has resided with his family in Orange for 37 years
Opinions expressed in community opinion pieces belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.
Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please email opinions@voiceofoc.org.
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