Pasco: Open PHCC board seat gains scant interest

Open PHCC board seat gains scant interest

Only one Hernando County resident, Irvin Homer, has applied for the post. The deadline for applying is May 1.

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK, Times Staff Writer

A seat on the Pasco-Hernando Community College Board of Trustees has become a prize of sorts among Pasco County political types.

Not so in Hernando County, where one board slot is up for grabs.

Just one Hernando County resident -- two-time School Board candidate Irvin Homer -- has applied, and he has the endorsement of state Rep. David Russell, the county's only hometown legislator. Outgoing board member James Yant said one other person, retired educator Ruby Hart, has asked him about the post.

But Hart has not applied, according to the governor's appointments office. The office will accept applications and nominations through May 1.

Gov. Jeb Bush will make the final decision. He usually filters the choices through local lawmakers.

Homer is a 79-year-old Democrat. He recognized that some people could view the appointment as a political plum and try to pluck it from him.

But he did not subscribe to the idea that partisanship should make a difference in the governor's selection.

"Why would anybody who is not interested in education want to be appointed?" he asked.

Instead, Homer pointed to his lifelong involvement with education as a teacher, administrator, professor and volunteer to demonstrate his qualification for the post. Russell saw the same qualities in Homer.

"As a tireless community volunteer, Homer's special focus has been helping students utilize educational opportunities," Russell, R-Brooksville, wrote in his recommendation letter, sent to the governor's office on March 6. "His involvement in programs such as PHCC's College Reach Out Program and Take Stock in Children attests to his deep commitment to the availability of local higher education services."

Homer said he has plenty of time to dedicate to the college board, and he believes he can make a positive contribution.

"Community colleges are on the move," he said. "I'd like to assist the school in expanding and serving more students in the community. . . . I think it would be an honor to serve."

Yant, who is retiring because of term limits, said he is not supporting a candidate. He figured the input of PHCC president Robert Judson would be weighed more heavily than his own. He added that he considered both Homer and Hart talented and up to the task.

Judson was not available for comment.

The race for a Pasco seat on the board had taken a more competitive tone, with former 22-year schools superintendent Tom Weightman vying against Karen Wells, the wife of Pasco's property appraiser. Weightman seemed to have experience on his side, but Wells got in early and got the backing of key county Republican leaders, including state Sen. Mike Fasano.

Any wrangling for the post might be moot now, though, as another Pasco-based board member has announced she will not seek reappointment. That could pave the way for both Weightman and Wells to sit on the board, although two others also have applied.

The policymaking board keeps a balance of five members from Pasco, four from Hernando. The college has four campuses and enrolled about 10,000 full- and part-time students last year.

-- Information from Times files was used in this article. Jeffrey S. Solochek covers education and politics in Hernando County. He can be reached at (352) 754-6115. Send e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com .