[INAUDIBLE].
THIS IS THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN ELECTED
TO OFFICE IN [INDISCERNIBLE].
SHE WAS A PHILANTHROPIST.
[INAUDIBLE].
$3 MILLION TO THE
UNIVERSITY -- TO HOUSTON
TILLOTSON UNIVERSITY.
THAT WAS HER LEGACY.
SHE HAD TWO CHILDREN, A SON
AND A DAUGHTER, BUT SHE ALSO
APPLIED FOR AND ACTUALLY GOT
READY TO GET HER DOCTORATE AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND
DID NOT GET TO FINISH BECAUSE
SHE WAS DENIED ACCESS INTO ONE
OF THE ROOMS THAT SHE NEEDED
TO BE INTO BECAUSE OF HER
COLOR.
IT DIDN'T STOP HER.
SHE PURSUED AND CONTINUED ON
AND BECAME THE CHAMPION THAT
SHE IS KNOWN FOR TODAY. SO
I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO REINTRODUCE YOU
AGAIN TO ADA COLLINS ANDERSON,
WHO IS ALSO DR. ADA COLLINS
ANDERSON.
SHE GOT AN HONORARY DOCTORATE
FROM HOUSTON TILLOTSON
UNIVERSITY.
SO I'M HERE BECAUSE OF HER.
I WANT TO THANK HER FOR PAVING
THE WAY AND MANY THINGS THAT
SHE'S DONE AND I WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT EACH OF YOU HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO READ ABOUT HER
AND TO GET TO KNOW HER, BUT
SHE WAS REFERRED TO AS
EVERYONE'S HERO BECAUSE SHE
NEVER GAVE UP AND LIVED TO THE
RIPE AGE OF 99.
WE ALL HOPE WE MAKE IT THAT
FAR; BUT I THINK IT HAD A LOT
TO DO WITH WHO WE ARE TODAY AS
A COMMUNITY AND I KNOW
DR. MINK KNEW HER PERSONALLY.
SO I'M SURE SHE'LL HAVE MORE
IN-DEPTH INFORMATION TO TALK
ABOUT.
I JUST WANTED TO NOT LET OUR
MEETING END WITHOUT TAKING
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT
HER, TO THANK HER AND TO LET
YOU KNOW WHAT SHE MEANS TO ME.
>> CHAIR: AND JUST WANT TO
LET YOU KNOW, ESTHER WILL BE
SINNED SOMETHING FLOWERS ON
BEHALF OF THE TRUSTEES TO HER
FAMILY.
SO, YES, THANK YOU.
SHE HAS JUST BEEN SO ICONIC IN
THIS COMMUNITY FOR SO MANY --
SO MANY YEARS.
SO THANKS FOR THAT, GIGI.
ANYBODY ELSE?
LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS.
YES, NICOLE?
>> I'LL LET BARBARA GO FIRST.
>> I'M THANKING GIGI FORGIVING
THAT DETAIL.
SHE WAS A GRACIOUS WOMAN.
SUCH FORWARD THINKER,
DETERMINED, GENEROUS, KIND, I
MEAN, YOU COULD GO ON AND ON
ABOUT HER.
HER CONNECTION TO EDUCATION
WAS ABOVE AND BEYOND.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
READING THAT.
AND I ALSO WANT TO HAVE ESTHER
GET HER FACE BACK ON SO WE CAN
SEE HER.
CAN YOU COME BACK ON, ESTHER?
BECAUSE WHEN I OPENED UP THE
TRUSTEE MAGAZINE THAT HAD JILL
BIDEN ON THE COVER AND I WAS
FLIPPING THROUGH THE ARTICLES
AND I GOT TO PAGE 46 OR
WHATEVER IT WAS IN BACK, I
OPENED IT UP AND SAID THERE IS
OUR ESTHER RIGHT THERE.
SO THANK YOU, ESTHER, FOR
BEING SO ACTIVE IN THE TRUSTEE
ASSOCIATION FOR STAFF, AND I
WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU IN
THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE.
SO OUR LOCAL HERO, TOO.
[APPLAUSE]
>> CHAIR: YES.
YES.
>> THAT'S WHAT I HAVE.
>> CHAIR: GREAT.
THANK YOU, DR. MINK.
NICOLE?
>> I JUST WANTED TO DO A SHOUT
OUT TO OUR GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS STAFF.
IT HAS BEEN A REALLY INTENSE
SESSION AND ACC CAME OUT
BETTER THAN WE EXPECTED.
SO I'M THANKFUL FOR ALL THE
HARD WORK, ALL OF THE
ADVOCACY, AND THE DEFENSE THAT
WENT ON OVER THESE PAST FEW
MONTHS AND I APPRECIATE IT.
AND I'M ALSO VERY GLAD THAT
MOLLY BETH IS TAKING SOME TIME
OFF AND SHE'S NOT WITH US
TODAY.
SO I HOPE SHE'S HAVING A GOOD
VACATION.
>> CHAIR: SHE IS ON THE ROAD
TRIP, YOU KNOW, WE'LL JUST SEE
HOW IT GOES.
I'VE GOT HER WHOLE SCHEDULE.
I KNOW EVERY PLACE SHE'S
STOPPING.
EVERY RESTAURANT SHE'S GOING
TO, EVERY CART SHE'S GOING TO
BUT SHE IS WITH THE FAMILY AND
THE KIDS ON THE ROAD TRIP.
SO, YES, THAT'S GREAT.
JULIE, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING
FOR US?
NO.
YOU'RE GOOD.
STEPHANIE?
NO.
OKAY.
GREAT.
WELL, YES, THANK YOU AGAIN TO
ALL OF YOU.
I KNOW THIS AGAIN WAS A VERY
LONG BOARD MEETING AND I WANT
YOU TO KNOW YOUR OFFICERS HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE
REDUCE HOW MUCH TIME WE'RE
SPENDING ON ALL THESE BOARD
MEETINGS AND WE'RE DOING OUR
BEST AND YOU KNOW ME, I'M FOR
COMPRESSION.
BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS
WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH
RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'LL HOPE THAT IN THE
FUTURE IT WON'T BE SO LONG.
BUT WE'RE WORKING ON WHAT WE
CAN DO TO MAKE THESE MORE
EFFICIENT, IF YOU WILL, IN
TERMS OF THE BOARD MEETING.
BUT WE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU
IN TERMS OF THE RETREAT
BECAUSE THAT WILL BE AN
IMPORTANT TIME FOR US AND
WE'LL GET A TIME THAT WORKS IF
WE CAN FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE
TRUSTEES AND FOR DR. RHODES.
SO, AGAIN, LET ME --
>> ARE WE PLANNING TO HAVE
THAT RETREAT IN PERSON?
>> CHAIR: WE ARE PLANNING TO
HAVE IT IN PERSON, YES.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE THINKING
PROBABLY AUGUST, EITHER --
MAYBE THE SECOND WEEKEND IN
AUGUST, SO JUST IF YOU'LL PUT
THAT DOWN JUST AS A PLACE
HOLDER, AND THEN WE'LL GET
BACK WITH YOU WITH SOME
SPECIFIC DATES AND AGENDA
ITEMS AND WE'LL ASK YOU FOR
AGENDA ITEMS AND GET YOUR
INPUT ON IT.
>> THANK YOU FOR MOVING
FORWARD ON THAT.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO GET
BACK TO TOGETHER AND GET BACK
INTO [INDISCERNIBLE].
SO THANK YOU FOR MOVING
FORWARD, DR. RHODES.
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE'RE READY TO -- WE'RE READY.
>> CHAIR: WE ARE.
SO THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS ADJOURNED
AT 7:43 ON MONDAY, JUNE 7TH,
2021.
THANK YOU, GUYS.
HAVE A GOOD WEEK.
BYE-BYE.