Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

January 2023 - Superintendent's Update

EVIT Superintendent Update

                                                                                                                                                                Jan. 5, 2023

EVIT Governing Board
In December, Maricopa County School Superintendent Steve Watson swore in two new members and two incumbents who will take their seats on the EVIT Governing Board this month. New members include Dr. Laura Metcalfe and Peter Boyle. Dr. Metcalfe has 27 years of education experience and a doctorate in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. Mr. Boyle is the director of educational leadership and innovation at the Center for the Future of Arizona. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship from the University of North Carolina, a master’s degree in secondary education from Arizona State University, and recently finished his EdLEADers Certificate from Stanford University. Incumbents Shelli Boggs and Amber McAffee were unopposed in the 2022 election. Read more: https://bit.ly/3GkR02S

Rest in peace, Dolores
Former EVIT board member Dolores Watkins passed away on Dec. 28. Mrs. Watkins had been with EVIT from the beginning as one of its founding governing board members. In 2019, she resigned her seat on the board, and her husband, LaMar Watkins, was appointed to her seat by the county superintendent. Dolores was a retired teacher with 64 years of experience in education and a master’s degree in career and technical education. Mr. Watkins still serves on the EVIT board. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Watkins family.

Commission appointment
Congratulations to Dr. Ronda Doolen, EVIT’s Chief Academic Officer, for being appointed to the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education. Dr. Doolen was appointed in December by Gov. Doug Ducey. The commission focuses on expanding access and increasing success in postsecondary education for Arizonans. Dr. Doolen helped lead EVIT’s efforts last year to pass legislation that will allow EVIT and other Career Technical Education Districts to offer associate degrees.

EVIT Expo
The EVIT Main Campus, 1601 W. Main St., Mesa, will host the annual EVIT Expo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28. Programs from all three campuses – Main, Power Campus and our branch campus at Apache Junction High School – will be featured at the Expo. There will also be games, food trucks and trolley tours of the 65-acre Main Campus. Admission is free.

EVIT after high school
Our latest article in the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com explains how this year’s graduating high school seniors can attend EVIT as adults next year, many of them tuition-free:  https://bit.ly/3Zj7alY. Read more about EVIT and our successful alumni on our azcentral.com page: https://www.azcentral.com/sponsor-story/evit/.