This November, three candidates battle it out for a seat on the WCC Board of Trustees

By Jordan Scenna
Deputy Editor

Two WCC Board of Trustees members are poised for reelection this November. Board Chair William Milliken Jr. and Vice Chair Angela Davis have both served on the board since 2016 and will be seeking to retain their positions.

Newcomer David Malcolm, a long-time WCC employee, is challenging the two incumbents for one of the two available seats.

The marquee races for the November ballot are the governor’s, senate, and house respectively, but who sits on WCC’s board has a direct impact on students, faculty, and employees. Board members vote on issues ranging from tuition costs, faculty contracts, presidential appointments, new academic programs, and campus construction projects.

Here is a look at the three candidates.

Angela Davis is an Ann Arbor native and former WCC student. After finishing her undergrad at Concordia University, she received a graduate degree in strategic leadership from Mountain State University in West Virginia.

Today, she works at Magna International, a Canadian mobility technology company and automotive parts supplier with locations in Southfield and Troy. She also struts her artistic flair by designing jewelry with her company Davis Jewelry Collections.

Davis, who sits on the board with her mother and trustee, Diana Mcknight-Morton, sees WCC as a beacon to students who want to create a better way of life for themselves and their families. Davis feels WCC is a place for new and returning students alike and can be a game-changer in terms of helping them create new and exciting career opportunities.

“What motivates me the most is knowing that students from all walks of life enter our classrooms with hopes and dreams,” Davis said. “The struggles they’ve overcome to enroll or re-enroll after dropping out, and witnessing the sacrifices they’ve made to cross the stage at graduation [is inspiring].”

Davis, who currently serves as the vice chair, has also spent time as the board treasurer, where she’s seen firsthand the gravity of money allocation on campus.

“[We approved] the repaving of the road on the North side of campus leading past the facilities department. That road was eroding and if left unmanaged would have been a severe safety hazard.”

Other areas where Davis voted to improve campus infrastructure is the installation of LED lights in the parking areas and classrooms and upgrades to IT networks and HVAC systems.

Davis lauds WCC successes, such as the renovation of the Morris Lawrence building with its “absolutely beautiful” art gallery, but also sees room for improvement when it comes to diversity on campus.

“WCC has seen an increase in the number of students of color to enroll and graduate, however, more work is needed to close the gap between white students and students of color,” Davis said. “Students must have faculty and staff that they can relate to, feel secure and comfortable, and who understands them.”

Along with diversity, Davis seeks to embolden female students to explore nontraditional areas of the job market. If reelected, Davis wants to enact a campaign encouraging women to enter lucrative “skilled labor” fields such as welding and pipefitting.

“Skilled labor is an industry where women are not represented enough,” Davis said. “Welders, construction workers, and electricians are industries where women are a minority, especially among the African-American community.”

Davis credits her academic and career experience in honing her listening and critical thinking skills, and teaching her the art of compromise. She says she deserves your vote because she knows how to find common ground and negotiate the best solution to achieve win-win scenarios for everyone involved.

Although, students are always at the forefront of her decisions.

“At the end of the day, the decisions made must always be in the best interest of the students, because they are the ones that make Washtenaw Community College what it is today and for tomorrow.”

Editor’s note: Angela Davis responded via email.

David Malcolm grew up on the westside of Ann Arbor. He began his higher education at WCC in 1990, and after several twists and turns, graduated in 2003 with an Occupational Studies degree. He holds numerous certificates in business sales and marketing.

In 2001, Malcolm became an employee of WCC’s Facilities Management Department. He first muddied his hands as a custodian before moving over to campus services in 2011, where he was involved in shipping and receiving, property disposition, special event setup, and reported to the purchasing and budgeting offices.

For the last fifteen years, he’s also worked as a real estate agent for Charles Reinhart Realtors in Ann Arbor.

Currently, Malcolm is on medical leave from the college. He wants to return but says WCC won’t grant him the accommodations necessary to ensure his safety. This affront by the college is part of an attitude that Malcolm sees chipping away at the school’s integrity.

“I love WCC, but I don’t like the direction the college is headed,” Malcolm says. “I don’t think the faculty and support staff are being heard. They’re the first resource that students and taxpayers come in contact with. We do the work at the college to get things moving, and I don’t think we’re being heard or respected.”

Malcolm says this “lack of respect” is causing a “mass exodus” of a great wealth of knowledge in the form of employees and teachers going elsewhere.

“This worries me. When those people leave there’s nobody to train the new people, and that leads to chaos,” Malcolm says.

Although critical of current leadership, Malcolm’s aspersions come from a place of love for the school.

“WCC has provided so many great things for my family in the last 21 years. I want to be a voice of reason on the board, to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers, but also to our students. If it wasn’t for our students, we wouldn’t have a WCC.”

This year, Malcolm put his money where his mouth is, donating $10,000 of his own cash in the form of an endowment. He funded the Lela Pitts educational endowment in honor of his mother, who at 55 years of age enrolled at WCC to earn her GED. Tragically, she passed away before she could finish. Malcolm wanted to help students who were in the same situation as she was as a young, single mother. The endowment covers tuition, transportation, books, and other expenses.

Of the three candidates, Malcolm is the only one without board experience. Malcolm says he makes up for that with extensive knowledge of college operations.

“In my job at WCC I work in the middle of college financing. I know how the college works and how it spends money. My job puts me in front of faculty, staff, and many students. I know every square inch of this college, the individual departments, and how they run.”

If elected, Malcolm says his priorities are to uphold fiduciary responsibilities to the taxpayers, because they are the ones who pass millages that fund construction projects, the purchase of new equipment, and determine curriculum that keep students viable in an ever-changing workforce.

“If you’re looking for someone who is going to be a voice of reason for the student and the taxpayer, then I’m that guy,” Malcolm says. “I believe in Washtenaw Community College. I want to see it remain successful. The college has done a great deal for me and my family, and I want to see it continue to do great things in our community.”

William Milliken Jr. has been an Ann Arbor resident since 1989. He’s the son of William Milliken Sr. who served as Michigan’s governor from 1969-1983. In 1996, he began a commercial real estate company, Milliken Realty Co, and currently sits on the executive committee of the National Association of Realtors.

Two years ago, Milliken was appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the Mackinac Bridge Authority, which oversees toll collection and ensures the bridge is a functioning part of the Michigan highway system.

His resume boasts an array of accomplishments, from working for NASA and the Justice Department, to trade missions to China, Taipei, and Mexico. He’s also a board member of the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce, New Detroit, and the Groundwork Center.

This wealth of work and leadership experience is what Milliken says sets him apart.

“[Experience] gives you a very broad view. If you’ve had the benefit of a lot of experience, you can look at things with a worldview that some of your colleagues can’t at times. You know how to prioritize, where to place value, and where to try and lead,” Milliken said.

During his first six-year term Milliken advocated for WCC to put together coursework that introduced students to automotive technology. This assisted in the creation of a new auto cybersecurity program.

“…recognizing the market demand for these types of skills and creating this new program that will offer our students opportunities is something I’m most proud of,” Milliken said.

Making sure the college is on the cutting edge of new tech with an ear pointed towards marketplace trends is how Milliken plans to spend his next term if he’s elected.

“The marketplace is changing fast, so we need to keep coming up with new things for which there is demand, and for which there is little tracking in other two- or four-year colleges. We need to try to anticipate what we can do, how to market it, and make sure WCC is the leader of the pack.”

Milliken sees WCC as an institution that can illuminate the path to a better future. This is no better illustrated than at the annual scholarship luncheon, where select students talk about how WCC has shined a light on exciting new opportunities.

“The single best event of the entire school year is the annual scholarship luncheon. I love hearing students talk about their education and what doors it’s opened for them. It tears at your heartstrings to listen to how lives get changed and how doors get opened.”

Milliken says he grew up in a family that is dedicated to public service and doesn’t mind that sitting on the board is an unpaid position.

“I’ve been in town for 30 years, and Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County have given me a great deal. Now I’m trying to bring the benefit of my experience to give back to them, and I’m hoping I get another chance to do it.”

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