CCCCD board to consider lesser pay raise for embattled chancellor

First-year Chancellor Bryan Reece faces a pay raise lower than called for in his contract if he achieved minimum expectations at the next regular meeting of the Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board on Wednesday.

Reece’s initial contract, approved by the board in October 2020, stipulated a 3% salary step increase following the first year of service, if the chancellor were to meet or exceed “minimum requirements” in his performance evaluation.

An addendum to the original contract is on the table for Wednesday, which calls for giving the chancellor a 2% pay raise after his first year, rather than the 3% pay raise called for in the contract that was approved by the board last year.

The board met last week on Oct. 6 to begin discussing Reece’s performance evaluation, and will continue to discuss this topic at the upcoming meeting. They had nothing to report out after last week’s meeting.

However, according to the background on the contract amendment in the meeting agenda, “the Governing Board has evaluated the Chancellor and has determined he meets the criteria to receive a 2% salary increase. The employment contract for the Chancellor, Dr. Bryan Reece, is being modified to reflect the salary increase. The Governing Board will consider additional contract addenda at a future meeting.”

The 2% boost to Reece’s $315,000 base salary would mean a raise of about $6,000 in the coming year, putting the chancellor’s salary at just over $321,000.

The proposed addendum does not include a contract extension, as he would have been eligible for under his original contract — which had an initial term running through the end of June 2022 “unless extended by mutual agreement and in conformance with applicable laws and regulations,” according to the contract.

Extension of the original contract hinges on Reece’s October 2021 performance evaluation. The contract states that if the results of this evaluation “exceeds requirements or above,” then the board is to consider extending the agreement for two additional years. If results “meets requirements or above” the board is to consider extending the agreement for an additional year.

There are no agenda items regarding the extension of Reece’s contract at the upcoming meeting, although this doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be considered at a future meeting.

Reece’s previous performance evaluation was in March, to consider his work through that date. The October performance evaluation is meant to consider his work for the rest of the 2021 to 2022 academic year.

Additionally, the contract states that it may be amended with the consent of both the board and the chancellor. The amendment for the 2% pay raise would be signed by both Reece and Board President Andy Li if approved.

Reece was previously put on paid administrative leave following a special governing board meeting on Sept. 14 due to an investigation into undisclosed “personnel matters.”

After more than six hours in closed session at the board’s Sept. 30 special meeting, he was reinstated as chancellor effective just after midnight on Oct. 1. Closed deliberations by the board came after more than an hour, in which many public commenters expressed support for him, as well as voicing frustration at the board for putting the chancellor on leave without public explanation.

The board’s 3-2 decision allowed Reece to return to work as chancellor while the investigation remains ongoing.

Details into the investigation and “personnel matters” involving Reece are unconfirmed.

The CCCCD Governing Board is scheduled to meet in person in the George R. Gordon Educational Center, at 500 Court St. in Martinez on Wednesday (Oct. 13). In addition, the meeting will be available remotely via Zoom. The agenda is available here.

Public comment will be open at 5 p.m., after which the governing board will meet in a closed session. The public agenda items will be discussed following the closed session.

In other business

* During the closed session, the governing board will discuss a tort claim filed by the district’s most recent associate vice chancellor and human resources officer, Dio Shipp. Shipp was put on paid administrative leave in June amid a personnel investigation for undisclosed matters.

* The board will consider approving a tentative agreement between the district and the Public Employees Union (Local 1) for the 2021-22 fiscal year. At the Oct. 6 meeting, union president Neal Skapura had expressed frustration with the district for a delay in signing this agreement, and pointed to the harm it had caused his constituents.