By Nita Gandhi / Interim News Editor
Proven leader (Riverside Community College District )
By Nita Gandhi / Interim News Editor
Riverside Community College District Chancellor Gregory Gray gets a retention bonus of $20,000.
In The Press-Enterprise, it was reported on July 28 by Imran Ghori that the RCC Board of Trustees voted in a closed session at the end of the June 21 meeting.
They voted to extend Gray’s contract through June 2015 and give him the retention bonus if he remains chancellor for another two years.
“It is a retention bonus that won’t be paid until 2014,” Gray said.
RCC spokesman Jim Parsons said that, “the bonus of $20,000 is paid to Gray if he stays until 2014 (and) if he continues to be the chancellor and then the bonus will be payable.”
The Board was split 3-2 in favor of the bonus.
President Janet Green and Trustees Samuel Davis and Virginia Blumenthal were in favor of the bonus but trustees Mark Takano and Mary Figueroa opposed it.
“Dr. Gray has had no increase in salary since he started,” said RCCD President Janet Green. “He’s doing so well for the district and we wanted to give him an incentive to stay.”
Green further stated that if Chancellor Gray left RCCD, the Board would have to conduct a $50,000 search to find a new chancellor.
Trustee Mary Figueroa voted against granting Gray the bonus.
“Based on the budget cuts I didn’t feel it set a good example,” Figueroa said.
The question was raised to pay $50,000 of money the board does not have now or pay $20,000 later?
Jim Parsons, who is also an employee of the board, said that the Board of Trustees hired Gray and also approved his contract, which is why the board had to approve the bonus as well.
“The chancellor is responsible for all three colleges,” Green said. “He has taken care of the colleges and been fundraising because the state is not giving us money.”
Figueroa said she does feel Gray is doing good things for the District and that her decision was not negative against the work Gray is doing for RCCD.
“This was not a negative reflection on Chancellor Gray’s job,” Figueroa said. “It is interesting in this situation because people get upset with people at the top when people at the bottom are struggling.”
Green also said that Chancellor Gray did not pressure the board into approving the bonus.
Chancellor Gray said he is proud of the bonus.
See what students had to say about the bonus on Page 4.
To view The Press-Enterprise article, type in: http://http://www.pe.com/localnews/riverside/stories/PE_News_Local_D_wbonus28.3f2df45.html.