FA Exec 2026-2028, Here We Go!

Billy Gunn, Incoming Faculty Assembly President

I am humbled by the trust you have placed in me and our newly elected Faculty Assembly Executive Committee. Serving on the FA Council since Fall 2018 and on the Executive Committee since 2022 has given me a firsthand view of both the responsibility and the privilege of union leadership. We begin this upcoming two-year term with a clear understanding that our work matters for every full-time faculty member at MiraCosta College.

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My introduction to FA leadership began in 2019 when I joined a negotiation team that developed our current investigation process. That experience was formative. It revealed the complexity of protecting faculty rights while creating systems that ensure fairness and due process. Since then, I have been a part of various negotiations, most significantly our full contract negotiations that concluded in Spring 2025. Through mentorship from leaders like Mary Gross and dara, I learned that effective advocacy requires preparation, collaboration, and transparency.

As Treasurer from 2022-2026, I focused on strengthening the financial foundation of our union. We secured federal nonprofit status (501(c)(5)) and California tax-exempt status, established a Financial Subcommittee, and implemented more strategic fiscal planning. Over four years, our membership increased from 67% to 86%, and our reserve funds grew from $340,000 to $610,000—partially made possible by moving our reserves into conservative investment vehicles. I am really proud of these accomplishments because they represent long-term stability and sustainability for the Faculty Assembly. A strong union must be financially sound and broadly supported by its membership.

My preparation for this role also includes years of institutional service prior to the Executive Committee: serving on the Courses and Programs Committee (2015-2022), contributing to the Canvas Transition Team and Online Teaching Mentorship program, co-chairing Academic and Career Pathways during the early stages of guided pathways implementation, and chairing the Theatre and Film Department. These experiences allowed me to collaborate closely with faculty and administrators, gaining insight into how District initiatives, leadership decisions, curriculum, and instructional technologies affect our daily working conditions.

The next two years will bring both opportunities and challenges. As we welcome a new College President in 2026, it will require steady, principled leadership and collaboration from the Faculty Assembly and Academic Senate. At the same time, we face broader pressures—political uncertainty, financial constraints, evolving investigative processes, and the growing impact of artificial intelligence and educational technology on our work. I am grateful that our Executive Committee brings a range of instructional and non-instructional perspectives. As I shared in my recent message to faculty, these varied experiences are essential to navigating the challenges ahead. We are fortunate that Mary Gross will remain as Past President to provide continuity and guidance. While our slate ran unopposed, we do not take your confidence for granted.

A quality I admire in others is the ability to operate with both honesty and kindness at the same time. Honesty builds trust, and it means being willing to speak directly about difficult issues. Kindness ensures that even hard conversations are grounded in respect and care for everyone involved. I hope colleagues will engage with me in that same spirit: candid, thoughtful, and focused on solutions. As FA President, my goal is to lead by approaching disagreements with openness, listening carefully, and always remembering that we are colleagues first, working towards shared goals. Also, mean liars are just the worst!