PAC president’s retirement pulled from board agenda

The Alamo Colleges board of trustees removed an item concerning the retirement of Dr. Ana "Cha" Guzman, president of Palo Alto College, from the agenda of its regular meeting Tuesday.

Gary Beitzel, District 8 trustee and board chair, said the board pulled the item because Guzman requested to stay at Palo Alto in an unspecified position until Jan. 6, six months after her effective retirement date Aug. 31.

Beitzel said this violated board policy.

At a special meeting Oct. 5, the board voted 8-0 to allow college presidents to take advantage of a 50 percent retirement incentive if they elect to retire by Feb. 28, 2013, six months before the end of the current two-year contracts on Aug. 31, 2013.

Presidents who participate in the program will follow the same criteria as retirees during summer 2011 and receive 50 percent of current salary for a year. A retiree cannot apply for a job in the district for two years after retirement.

"All we did was go by the policy," Beitzel said Tuesday.

He said if Guzman continued working at Palo Alto after her retirement, the board would have to create a new position.

Beitzel said Guzman will have to resubmit her retirement election if she still plans to retire by the end of her contract.

After the board meeting, Guzman said she still plans to retire but will rethink her options and bring her decision to the board at the March meeting.

She has been president of the South Side college since 2001.

Guzman said she and Chancellor Bruce Leslie discussed another position for her at the college but did not specify the nature of the position.

"There are lots of things that need to be done at PAC," Guzman said. "I'm disappointed that the board did not give me special consideration."

Adriana Contreras, deputy to the chancellor, said Leslie did not attend the meeting because he was on vacation.