It was a bit chaotic at the Miami Dade College Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, where a “surprise” interim president was named and members continued to press for a politically-motivated do-over of a selection process to permanently replace the retiring Eduardo Padrón, whose last day is Friday.
“A shitshow,” said one faculty observer. “A circus,” said another.
First, they tried to cut off any public commentary, saying that it wasn’t on the agenda. Guess what? Neither was anything else. Like the appointment of an 
interim president, which former State Rep. Michael Bileca wanted to name before the public comment thinking it would placate the protesters. A crumb to calm the crowd. Because everyone likes and respects former MDC Provost and Trustee Rolando Montoya (photo), who — surprise, surprise — happened to be in the audience to accept the job. Some observers think Montoya knew he would be appointed — and that some of the board members knew, too.
Ladra thinks perhaps Sunshine laws were ignored as much as the public. And she is not the only one.
Read related: Miami Dade College trustees meet re scrapped search, urge ‘decorum’
“It was a symphony of a prearranged appointment,” said former United 
Teachers of Miami Dade College president Mark Richard (photo). “And the song title is ‘We’re breaking the stakeholders hearts again.’
“They picked a very competent guy in a very incompetent way.”
Those who eventually spoke on behalf of restoring the established process — which the board abruptly suspended in July amid rumors of a political fix — included Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Louis Wolfson (whose family the downtown campus is named for) and selection committee member Jose Mas. They can thank Chairman Bernie Navarro for allowing the opportunity to comment.
“Even to consider replacing Dr. Padrón with a political influencer, someone that does not understand the complexities of Miami Dade College or higher education… will absolutely erode our hometown reputation and trust,” Wolfson said. “You can already see it and hear it and feel it from our community.”
But it all fell on deaf ears as the board continued on its track to start a new 
search, which many think is meant to end with the selection of an unqualified, political lackey, like former State Rep. and lobbyist Jose Felix “Pepi” Diaz or another former GOP lawmaker. After all, the loss of trust from the community is no match for the shiny object the presidency is.
The prestigious job doesn’t only come with a $500,000 salary and benefit package, but also control of millions of dollars in contracts, thousands of jobs and multiple programs and partnerships. A party loyalist would be perfect!
Read related: Political palanca puts Miami Dade College president search on pause
After naming Montoya — who, by all accounts, is a perfectly qualified interim who may have been hoodwinked into a political hurricane — the board decided to hire a new headhunting firm to start a brand new search from scratch. They won’t consider the firm the college already paid $167,000 to for this search they scrapped. Could one of the board members already have a 
headhunter in mind? (Note to self: Watch for a connection).
They also voted to form a new selection committee — though they may be hard pressed to find many qualified people to volunteer. Who would do that after the disrespect shown the first selection committee of highly respected community leaders like Mas, former U.S. Attorney Bob Martinez, Miami Foundation CEO Javier Soto. They feel used and abused.
And anyone placed on a second selection committee will immediately be suspected of being part of this, oh, let’s go with circus.
Several faculty members are suing to stop this reboot, arguing that the board violated its own established rules and demanding that a judge order they 
resume the interrupted process. The selection committee had recommended four finalists to the board, with MDC Vice President and Provost Lenore Rodicio (photo) leading the pack. Weeks after they failed to change the criteria and extend the deadline to allow for less qualified candidates to apply, the board scrapped the whole process to start anew.
Attorney Marcell Felipe, who seems to be the leader of the hijackers, said the process was manipulated to favor Rodicio. So is he calling Martinez, Mas and all the selection committee members — which includes faculty and students — puppets? Morons? What, exactly? This process was put in place by 
other GOP-appointed board members, by the way. So what’s the problem?
Felipe (photo) has already proven to be either (A) delusional or (B) a propagandist fearmonger who has gone on Cuban radio to call Rodicio a communist because part of her job is to oversee the Confucius Institute, a program that teaches Chinese language and culture. Navarro called it “McCarthyism.”
Read related: Miami Dade College tax battle still brews after big fight
But not only is Rodicio a Republican Cuban exile and unlikely a communist, but the Institute also has board members like Helen Aguirre Ferre, a conservative longtime GOP adviser and mouthpiece who now works for Gov. DeSantis, and former Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado.
Oooooh, it’s a virtual hotbed of communists!
Let’s wait a minute while Felipe removes his foot from his mouth. But how can we trust him to move forward with any kind of integrity?
Ironically, Rodicio is the only candidate of the four finalists who was left in the running when the process was scrapped. How? Why? It’s obvious the board doesn’t want her. Was it just so that Felipe could malign her — or is the Institute his real target? Or is it because she was the top candidate all along? Is she a safety net? An insurance policy?
And where is Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez? Being a Miami Dade legislator, she is likely the one who vetted and recommended these new board member to DeSantis. Is she regretting some of her decisions? Or did she and the governor intend to blow up the process?
Be sure that Ladra and others will remind voters about this come next year.
MDC trustees ignore community, continue tainted president search added by Ladra on
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The same gang of old. Dipping into MDC just like they have dug into county and federal government contracts for three decades. The taxes we pay for education and traffic control end up lining the pockets of these sinister characters. To coin those who get on these boards “community leaders” is laughable. These individuals are not leaders, they care very little about the community and the only place the members of this community would like to see them is behind bars where they belong.
It needs an overhaul. We went to college for $100 a semester , 15 or more credits inclusive. Even MDC is becoming a gold mine!
I thought witch-hunts had ended years ago, but it seems they continue even in the educational realm. What a disservice to the student body of MDC and the community. Politicians and cronies as usual can never let a good thing grow and flourish. I am ashamed of those who lead our community and are entrusted to make decisions that are supposed to be in our best interest, not theirs. The truth will someday come out, and the accusers will be victims of their own recourse.
Agreed, gentlemen, but let’s not lose focus.
Diaz is just one possibility. Even if it’s not a lobbyist, the point is it should not be a political prize for an unqualified loyalist who can then use it to pay favors (or retaliate) and, shudder the thought, influence the academic ideology.
The process is tainted. It should be reverted back to the established process that was scrapped for no real reason or a new untainted board should be placed.
Love, Ladra
” Jose Felix Diaz is a lobbyist. In fact, he is a lobbyist for sleazy clients ”
Well said .
Is there anything in Miami which isn’t in your face corrupt or at best real ” shady ” ?
Rewarding the same self serving flunky politicos who talk a good talk but are always involved in lining their pockets is sadly what most voters here want on a local level .
HOWEVER I respect the voters , those who do not vote IMO are trash and enablers .
Jose Felix Diaz is a lobbyist. In fact, he is a lobbyist for sleazy clients like billboard companies. Miami Dade College is losing friends fast.