Hill College Board of Regents holds April monthly meeting
Ashlee Ferguson
Thursday, May 28, 2026 3:31 PM
Enrollment Management
Hillsboro, TX
On April 21, 2026, the Hill College Board of Regents met for the monthly regular session meeting.
Hill College President Dr. Thomas Mills presented a consideration of approval for the Consent Agenda Items, including the minutes from the February regular meeting and the certified minutes from the February executive session, as well as several memorandums of understanding (MOU).
Five MOUs were presented, including two college prep programs, one at Mansfield ISD and one at Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD; a consideration of approval with CE Shop, a leading online real-estate education provider; a partnership with JHC Ventures LLC; and an agreement with ISDs Template 2026–2028 for dual credit. All were approved.
Vice President of Administrative Services Melissa Boyle presented the financial report. Revenue is up overall.
Dr. Mills presented his report to the board, which began with a program spotlight by Instructor of Welding & Program Coordinator Joe Price on the college’s growing welding program. Price’s presentation included an overview of the current program, which is offered at both the Hill College Campus (HCC) and the Cleburne Technical Center (CTC). There are two on-site dual credit programs, one at Venus High School and one at Meridian High School, in addition to nine other partner schools that send dual credit students to Hill College.
Program highlights for the 2024–2025 academic year include 164 welding majors across all campuses, 249 awards conferred, and 45 National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) credentials awarded.
A 23% increase is expected in the welding industry by 2030, making it a high-demand, high-growth market for the college’s program. Texas leads the nation in per capita welders.
In 2025, the Hill College Welding Program hosted the American Welding Society (AWS) North Texas Section at the CTC, held activities at the college’s G.I.R.L.S STEM Day, hosted the FFA AAE Area 8 Contest at HCC, and launched a Maintenance Technician Training at the Walmart Distribution Center in Cleburne, Texas.
Price also presented a proposal for expanding future growth for the program, including expanding pathways to increase stackable skill certifications aligned with industry demand, developing and launching new welding courses to provide education on emerging technologies and fabrication skills, increasing dual credit enrollment, and updating equipment and lab infrastructure to support training for current industry standards.
Dr. Mills continued with the president’s report, including the May 14, 2026, commencement date for 2025–2026 graduates, Instructor of Cosmetology Chris Andry’s feature in Voyage Austin, and a recap of both the Cleburne and Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Banquets. He also announced that Hill College received the Workforce Champion of the Year Award for efforts with the Eden Green Employee Scholarships and the college’s participation in the Cleburne ISD Multicultural Fair.
He also announced the ABC (Accelerated Biomedical Careers) Initiative with UNT Health Fort Worth and Core Completion Program for Burleson ISD, and the Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU) in 2 signing. The latter two allow students to complete and transfer college credits and complete an advanced degree at a four-year institution.
Executive Director of Information Technology & Learning Innovation/CIO Kevin Rocha presented at the Building Research Innovation at Community Colleges, and Director of Communications and Marketing Cami Steele Scarbrough attended the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Conference on scholarship, both representing the college at the national level.
Dr. Mills also gave a report on the annual G.I.R.L.S STEM Day, the Boys & Girls Club Shoot for Success, and the college’s participation in the Specialized Driver Safety Meeting at the HILCO Event Center.
He also gave an overview of the new soccer field groundbreaking ceremony held on April 9, 2026. The event was attended by board members, faculty, staff, and students, cementing the beginning of a new chapter of athletics at Hill College.
An overview of the annual Boots & Suits event was presented, noting nearly 300 attendees and $108,895 raised for student scholarships and the student emergency fund.
Dr. Mills announced that a date has been set for the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal Gala event at Hill College, which will be held on November 14, 2026, on campus.
A consideration of approval was presented for an MOU with the Mansfield Police Department that would allow police academy students use of Mansfield’s firing range for training purposes.
Dr. Mills also gave an update on enrollment as well as an update on funding. Enrollment numbers continue to trend up. In his presentation, Dr. Mills explained the funding model for the college, which primarily comes from three different sources:
- State funding for performance and tier-based outcomes
- Local property and maintenance taxes
- Tuition and fees
Wrapping up the president’s report, Dr. Mills announced that Weatherford College withdrew from the TRUE Grant that was recently received for a joint cybersecurity partnership.
Athletic Director & Dean of Students Randy Graves presented the athletics report, including a report on the annual Hill College Rodeo. It was the first time in the college’s history for the rodeo to be featured on TSBN Sports. Graves commended Head Rodeo Coach Chad Rutherford for his role in the success of the event. Four student athletes from the college will be going to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), James Arviso, Koby Douch, Sam Shofner, and Sage Webster. Graves also gave an update on baseball, softball, and track. All teams are in the recruiting process for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Executive Director of Information Technology & Learning Innovation and Chief Information Officer Kevin Rocha gave an update on esports. Several teams qualified for finals and semifinals. The esports program is also recruiting.
Executive Director of Human Resources Tamy Rogers gave an update on personnel considerations. The motion was approved.
Vice President Boyle presented a consideration of approval for bids for flooring updates for both Frazier and Dudley halls. The motion was approved for the bid from BSH Construction at $226,846.
Chief of Staff Lyndsey Pederson presented a consideration of approval of the cancellation of a general election for upcoming board elections. Current members Christy Bailey, Kent Eubank, Jolene Lehmann, and Kevin Ray have agreed to continue as board members. The motion was approved.
Executive Director Rogers presented a consideration of approval of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) policy updates in accordance with Senate Bill 37 (SB 37). The motion was approved.
Vice President of Student Learning & Success and Chief Academic Officer Irene Benero presented a consideration of approval of the 2026–2027 Academic Catalog. The motion was approved.
Dr. Mills presented a consideration of approval to discontinue the co-curricular band based on low enrollment and low performance attendance. The motion was passed with a seven-to-two vote, with board members Jennifer Nowlin and Karen Bracken voting against.
Dr. Mills presented a consideration of approval for restructuring the Job Training and Workforce Partnerships department, which was brought up at the February 2026 board meeting. The proposed changes did not include any job losses for current staff/faculty, rather reassignments were proposed for the restructuring. The motion was approved.
Both Dr. Mills and Vice President Boyle presented a consideration of approval for the proposed wrestling program for both men’s and women’s teams, including start-up costs, renovation costs for transitioning the current Student Center into the new location for the wrestling facility, operating costs, and coaching salaries/benefits. Dr. Mills also mentioned that the program will offer 42 partial scholarships for qualified student athletes. The motion was approved.
The board then broke for executive session to discuss deliberation of real property pursuant to Section 551.072 and Section 551.076, including deliberation of the utility easement with the City of Hillsboro located at Lamar Drive in Hillsboro, Texas, and a security audit.
The board returned to regular session during which Mrs. Brackin made a motion to authorize Dr. Mills to negotiate with the City of Hillsboro regarding changes to the utility easement. The motion was approved. No action was required regarding the security audit.
Members present: Christy Bailey, Karen Brackin, Kent Eubank, Bill Galiga, Jolene Lehmann, Dwight Lloyd, Jennifer Nowlin, Bill Siddons III, Rick Sullins, and David Teel
Members absent: Guy James (ex officio), Dr. Allan Lane, and Kevin Ray
The Hill College Board of Regents meets the third Tuesday of every month.