To the Members of the Board of Trustees of Highland Community College: It has recently come to public attention that the Board of Trustees of Highland Community College is attempting to appoint a new President without a search or application process. We wish to remind you that the Board is an elected position responsible to the citizens of the district in matters of running the community college, and the lack of community involvement and an open and democratic presidential search processes is something our community cannot abide. We the undersigned call upon the HCC Board of Trustees to conduct a national search for the next college president, using principles of transparency, shared governance, and current best practices with regard to securing a diverse and well-qualified applicant pool. This is our community, and OUR community college. We must have a voice in who is the leader of this institution and the process must be carried out in a fair, transparent, and inclusive manner.