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My name is Brad D鈥橢midio, President of the Living Desert Alliance, a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit representing more than 1,800 members. I鈥檓 writing to express my deep concern and disappointment about the abrupt elimination of Pima Community College鈥檚 Office of Sustainability, the dissolution of its sustainability budget, and the formal conclusion of the Climate Action & Sustainability Plan.

PCC鈥檚 sustainability program has been a model of student engagement, hands-on learning, and community partnership. It prepared students for rapidly growing environmentally focused careers and reflected PCC鈥檚 stated values of stewardship and innovation. Yet under new leadership, these efforts were halted without warning, and the Director of Sustainability position was eliminated. This is a major and unwarranted shift in direction for the college.

Why did this happen 鈥� and why so suddenly? The timing appears to coincide with PCC鈥檚 acceptance of a $5.9 million donation from Beale Construction to develop an AI-focused curriculum. Beale is the same company pushing aggressively to build multiple data centers across Arizona, including in Pima County, despite significant community and agency pushback. While PCC has not publicly linked the donation to the dismantling of sustainability programs, the overlap understandably raises concerns about donor influence and shifting institutional priorities.

At the same time, PCC is preparing to ask voters to approve a $250 million bond. Yet based on available information, none of that funding is allocated toward sustainability. Eliminating a successful, student-supported program while seeking major public investment is troubling and demands transparency, scrutiny, and accountability.

There are also governance concerns. This Board voted in 2022 to approve the Climate Action & Sustainability Plan and to create the Office of Sustainability. If the Office is now being dissolved, shouldn鈥檛 that require a public Board vote as well? And how can sustainability be listed as a strategic priority while simultaneously being deemed 鈥渘ot a core function鈥� worthy of budget support? Those two positions cannot coexist.

A reasonable compromise is available: retain the Office of Sustainability in name and fund at least a part-time position to oversee it. This preserves a point of contact for internal and external collaboration, maintains continuity, and significantly reduces costs.

Finally, this decision directly affects students. The Climate Action & Sustainability Plan is not just an administrative document 鈥� it is integrated into coursework. Students analyze PCC鈥檚 commitments, compare them to regional climate plans, and evaluate gaps and progress. When the CASP is dissolved and folded into the strategic plan without measurable goals, timelines, or accountability, it removes the very framework students are being taught to evaluate. It undermines the integrity of the curriculum and sends a confusing message: that the college no longer stands behind the commitments it asks students to study. For students who chose PCC because it claimed to 鈥渨alk the walk鈥� on sustainability, this feels like the institution stepping away from its own values.

I urge the Board to uphold the commitments it made in 2022, ensure transparency in this process, and maintain a visible, supported Office of Sustainability so PCC can continue to lead by example.