Construction project changes will now require the Board’s consent approval to improve accountability and transparency.

San Mateo, CA – September 4, 2024 – The San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) Board of Trustees was informed at last week’s regular board meeting about a District plan to implement a change in how it oversees bond-funded projects. Bond project revisions will now go to the Board for consent approval with the first list of revisions being brought to the next September 11, 2024 regular meeting.

SMCCCD Chancellor Melissa Moreno, J.D., is pleased to champion the Board’s focus on continuous improvement and fiscal integrity: “Since becoming Chancellor, our work is focused on improving the way the college district does business and strengthening accountability standards. More frequent and transparent reviews of the District’s progress toward modernizing its facilities is incredibly important as we begin planning for educating the future leaders of San Mateo County.”

To strengthen accountability measures for the Capital Improvement Program bond program, District staff has revised the process for managing, tracking, and presenting to the Board of Trustees all revisions to bond projects, including changes to individual project names, scope of work, project status, and budgets. Chancellor Moreno declared that this process will not include additions of new projects.

“By implementing this enhanced process for presenting bond revision lists to the Board of Trustees, we are making a strong commitment to San Mateo County taxpayers and the District’s Measure H Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. This approach will offer more frequent and accessible updates, ensuring that taxpayers can easily track how their investments are being managed and safeguarded,” commented SMCCCD Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Storti.

Historically, changes to bond projects went to the Board only two times a year. Now, the Board will review adjustments in near-real-time.

About San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD): SMCCCD operates three colleges, Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College, that provide community college educational services to the residents of San Mateo County. The District’s colleges serve over 30,000 students annually and offer the first two years of college-level instruction in various transfer and career-technical programs. The District is governed by a six-member Board of Trustees, with five voting members elected by voters from designated areas of the County and one nonvoting student member elected by students. For more information, see: smccd.edu.

About the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC): The CBOC is responsible for reviewing that bond proceeds from Measure A on the November 2005 ballot and Measure H on the November 2014 ballot are spent only for construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of SMCCD facilities (including the purchase of furnishings and equipment) or the acquisition or lease of real property. The CBOC holds quarterly meetings that are open to the public. For more information on the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, see: cboc.smccd.edu.

Media Contact: David McLain, Community & Government Relations, SMCCCD, (650) 730-8049 or mclaind@smccd.edu

SMCCCD is the first community college district in Northern California, and the second in the state, to implement a continuous improvement unit.

San Mateo, CA – August 29, 2024 – The San Mateo County Community College District
(SMCCCD) Board of Trustees is proud to announce the creation of a Performance Audit Unit, a
significant step taken at the August 28, 2024, Board Meeting to increase transparency and
accountability within the organization. SMCCCD is now the first community college district in
Northern California to implement such a unit, underscoring its commitment to excellence and
integrity.

The newly established Performance Audit Unit will be instrumental in ensuring that
departments and programs at the colleges and within the District adopt standards for internal
controls to operate efficiently and effectively, and ensure compliance with applicable laws and
regulations.

The unit will independently conduct comprehensive performance audits as directed by the
Board of Trustees. Trustee Richard Holober said, “The desire to implement a performance audit
function has finally come to fruition. It provides much-needed independent checks and
balances to ensure the District’s ability to report reliable information about its operation of the
organization.”

Melissa Moreno, J.D., Chancellor for SMCCCD, is pleased the Board has adopted this
performance improvement function. “We will set the gold standard statewide for the
community college system by adopting internal controls and security standards based on best
practices in federal public agencies. Our district aims to model transparency and accountability
to the taxpaying public and ensure managed risk and fraud prevention,” said Chancellor
Moreno.

The Audit Unit is perfectly aligned with the Board of Trustees’ newly adopted goals and values
emphasizing transparency, continuous improvement, and accountability. The Board has
committed sufficient funds and recently appointed its first Performance Auditor, Houman
Boussina, who holds an M.A. in Accountancy from San Jose State University and is certified in
four auditing areas—internal auditing, government auditing, fraud examination, and
information systems. Boussina has deep experience developing findings and recommendations
to support continuous improvement in local government settings.

Each fiscal year, the auditor submits an annual audit plan for Board approval and final audit
reports will be shared publicly in board meetings throughout the year. The Chancellor will be
responsible for implementing the audit recommendations. “Our goal is to secure the district’s
operational integrity and promote efficiency and accountability as we educate the future
leaders of San Mateo County,” says Chancellor Moreno.

Media Contact: David McLain, Community & Government Relations, SMCCCD, (650) 730-8049 or mclaind@smccd.edu