Questions about former PCC President Paulette Perfumo’s surprise resignation linger as few details have emerged in the weeks since.Two weeks after she requested a personal leave of absence, Perfumo resigned as president, but retained an unspecific administrative role, according to a prepared statement read by President of Board Jeanette Mann after a special meeting held on Aug. 25.
“The Board of Trustees of the Pasadena Area Community College District and Dr. Paulette J. Perfumo, superintendent/president of Pasadena City College, have reached an agreement by which Dr. Perfumo will relinquish her current leadership role as president of PCC for personal family reasons,” the statement said.
Other details of Perfumo’s resignation have not been disclosed.
“I am legally prohibited from commenting on Dr. Perfumo’s situation,” said Trustee Consuelo Rey Castro last week. “You may want to talk to Dr. Mann, the Board President.”
Other trustees deferred to Mann as well.
“Try Dr. Mann,” said Geoffrey Baum on Monday.
William Thomson said he would have to direct any questions to Mann, as did John Martin.
“I’m governed by Board Protocols on such personnel issues to refer you to Board President,” Martin said.
Most recently, Mann reiterated what she had said at the special board meeting.
“The only thing I can say is what I read in the statement,” Mann said in an interview on Tuesday.
Perfumo surprised the PCC community by asking for a personal leave of absence on Aug. 5, just days after her vacation ended. She had been facing anger over the decision to cut the winter intersession at the July 1 board meeting, and was accused by some of being unaware of crucial financial matters.
Winter session has since been partially restored, due to a larger reserve than anticipated.
Perfumo drew criticism over a salary raise she was given in December 2008 when the Board of Trustees had renegotiated her contract.
According to Trustee Baum, she was given that raise based on the previous year’s evaluation, which was done by the board. Every other year the president is evaluated by a campus-wide random selection of people in the PCC community, from administrators to classified staff to faculty.
The board was given this thorough evaluation, known as a 360 evaluation, earlier in the summer, after her contract and salary had already been renegotiated.
According to the statement released by the board, Perfumo intends to relocate to northern California, but she will retain a special administrative assignment, which is to “provide focus on projects related to legislation, advocacy, and new grant opportunities.”
As the president of the college, Perfumo was paid about $226,000 a year. According to Lyle Engeldinger, Dean of Human Resources, she will be paid $215,000 a year until her special administrative assignment is completed.
“Her new assignment has her keeping track of litigation and watching out for grant opportunities. The board believes this is fitting because she is knowledgeable of the community college system,” said Trustee Thomson.
“We anticipate getting value for the assignment,” said Baum.
In 2006 the Solano Community College Board of Trustees voted to “terminate the contract” of Perfumo, where she had served as president since 2003.
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