Governing Board
Our leadership team is dedicated to ensuring educational excellence, fostering community engagement, and guiding the college's growth and success.
Governing Board Welcome
President's Welcome
Welcome to Gila Community College!
On behalf of the College’s Governing Board, we are delighted you are here!
As many of you know, this is the beginning of a new era for the Gila County Community College District. While we are grateful to Eastern Arizona College for providing educational services and oversight for the past 20 years, beginning on July 1, 2025, we are deeply honored and excited to serve the residents of Gila County as an independent community college!
Thanks to our talented and supportive faculty and staff, both the Gila Pueblo Campus in Globe and the Payson Campus are very special places. As a student, you will be inspired to learn and grow – to be endlessly curious, and become the best version of yourself. We are also confident you will find a sense of belonging as you explore the various opportunities to get involved and make new friends.
As we embark on this new adventure together, we are so happy that you’ve chosen to become a member of the Gila Community College family. We look forward to learning more about your individual experiences, and your hopes and dreams for the future.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jan Brocker
Governing Board President,
Gila County Community College District
View Meetings, Agendas, Policies & More!
For additional information regarding the District Governing Board including meetings, agendas, policies and procedures, please visit their websit.
Our Governing Board
Dr. Jan Brocker earned a B.S. degree in Human Development and Family Studies and an M.Ed. in Adult Education from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Denver. Her 27-year career in higher education included leadership roles in program development, academic services, student recruitment, admissions, and advising. She also taught Freshman Orientation, Intro to Marketing, Business-to-Business Marketing, Consumer Behavior, MBA Core, MBA Capstone, and other undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. Earlier in her career she spent 10 years in private-sector sales and management and has also been a team building and strategic performance consultant for several non-profit groups.
Dr. Brocker is currently President of the Gila County Community College District Governing Board. As a retiree and full-time resident of Payson since 2010, she has been a substitute teacher with Payson Unified School District and has served as a volunteer with several local community organizations. Her favorite activities include golf, hiking, and road trips with her husband, Paul.
Dr. Brocker has been on the Board since 2015 and her current term ends December 2026.
Janet Brocker
President – District 2
Mickie has been a Franchisee of Dairy Queen in Globe, Arizona for over 35 years.
He has been involved in community organizations for over thirty years. The Globe Miami Chamber of Commerce, GILA House, the Gila County Planning and Zoning Commission and its Board of Adjustment for over twenty years. He has been their chairman for over ten years.
He believes that his community has been good to him and that we owe it to our community members to give back wherever we can.
He was awarded the Citizen of the Year for the Globe Miami community several years ago as well as the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken Regional Hall of Fame and the DeMolay Legion of Honor.
As the newest member of the Gila County Community College District Governing Board appointed in March 2024, Mickie is serving as the Vice-President. He believes that our communities deserve the best possible campuses, instructors, and staff. He indicates that we owe it to our students, future students, staff, and communities to provide the best quality education to ensure their success and to help meet the respective needs of our communities.
Because Mickie was appointed to serve a remaining term and 2024 is an election year, his term expires in December 2030.
Mickie Nye
Vice President – District 5
Fernando was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States when he was five years old. He took his stepfather’s name and became a naturalized citizen of the United States, taking Shipley as his legal name.
He and his wife Denise moved to Globe in September of 1999 to pursue a career opportunity as a State Farm agent. They immediately became involved in the community and nurtured many lifelong friendships/relationships and have no desire to leave.
His leadership in Globe started with many of the local clubs (Miami Rotary, Miami Lions, Globe Knights of Columbus) and several boards (Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center, Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce, Gila First Things First). He was a member of the Globe City Council for three 2-year terms as a councilman and then elected as Mayor of Globe in 2008, serving four years. He returned to his role as a councilman for the Globe City Council where he has continued to serve for the last six years.
Fernando received his BA in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and is recognized as a Fellow from the inaugural class of the Flinn-Brown Arizona Center for Civic Leadership Academy.
In January 2021, Fernando was appointed to fill the Gila County Community College District Governing Board member position when a position was vacated. In 2022 he was officially elected to that position. Fernando currently serves as the Treasurer and the Advisory Committee Liaison and his term ends December 2028.
The Globe-Miami area is a place he is proud to call home and he continues to serve on several boards to help the local area. He believes that the community and Gila County’s best days are still ahead and will do his part to make sure the County continues to improve for the benefit of the citizens.
Fernando Shipley
Treasurer – District 3
Connie served in the United States Air Force working as a switchboard operator, telecommunications center operator, and supervisor. She was the Manager of Project Management, Base Security NCO, and First Sergeant while serving in Germany, Italy, and England and at Travis AFB, California, Langley AFB, Virginia, Shaw AFB, South Carolina, and Ft. Meade, Maryland.
She retired from the military in May 1995 after 20 years in service.
After the military, she worked as a Manager, Project Management for Computer Sciences Corporation, Albany, New York, and retired in December 2003.
Connie began writing in 2011, publishing her first stories and books in 2012. Since then, she has released over 20 books, novelettes, novellas, and short stories and published in several anthologies, and publications such as Plum Tree Publishing, EveryDayFiction.com, and FrontierTales.com, he received an Honorable Mention for her short story Eavesdroppers from the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest in 2015. In 2018, she received a Silver Award for novella Tested in the Horror/Fantasy/SciFi category from Military Writers of America.
Connie received her BS in Business Management from the University of Maryland and an MS in Information Systems Management from Bowie State University.
For the past nine years, Connie has served as a member of the Arizona Professional Writers organization both at state and Rim Country where she has also held office as both President and Program Director.
Connie is the Founder and Director of the Payson Book Festival, the current Secretary of the Governing Board, and has volunteered as the Superintendent of Exhibits at the Northern Gila County Fair and as a 4H and Girl Scout leader, Red Cross Shelter Manager, USAF unit party planner, and Red Cross Disaster Planner.
Connie currently serves as the Secretary for the Gila County Community College District Governing Board. Her term expires December 2026.
Connie Cockrell
Secretary – District 1
Kurt was elected to the Gila County Community College District Governing Board in 2016. He brings a broad knowledge of industrial technical training to the board and is firmly committed to helping students move directly into high-demand jobs with the skills needed by today’s employers.
Kurt values public service and has been actively involved in many initiatives. He has served, as commander of the American Legion Post 4 in Globe, has been a member of planning and zoning commissions for the City of Globe and Gila County, volunteered with Canyon Fire District, and served in the United States Army as a Cavalry Scout.
His professional career includes 29 years in the mining industry, holding various positions of increased responsibility. He began his career in industrial plant operations and has served in numerous leadership roles for the past 26 years. He currently holds the position of Superintendent of Technical Training with Freeport-McMoRan. In this role, he is responsible for employee safety and work skills development training, helping educate employees locally and as far away as the Netherlands.
Kurt received his BS in Business Management from Grand Canyon University. He also received EMT and fire science credentials from Eastern Arizona College.
Kurt’s term with the Board expires in December 2030.
Kurt Knauss
Member – District 4
