Hill College Board of Regents holds June monthly meeting
Ashlee Ferguson
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 3:25 PM
Enrollment Management
Hillsboro, TX
On June 16, 2026, the Hill College Board of Regents met for the monthly regular session meeting.
Board President David Teel presented a motion to amend the agenda, proposing that the Oaths of Office for Covington and Bynum (both place 1) and Hillsboro and Whitney (both place 3) be presented prior to the Consent Agenda. The motion was approved.
Senior District Judge Bob McGregor from Hillsboro administered and led the statements of oaths for board members Christy Bailey, Kent Eubank, Jolene Lehmann, and Kevin Ray. Bailey took the oath of office for Hillsboro, Eubank for Whitney, Lehmann for Bynum, and Ray for Covington.
Hill College President Dr. Thomas Mills then presented a consideration of approval for the Consent Agenda, including the minutes from the May regular. The motion was approved
Vice President of Administrative Services Melissa Boyle presented the financial report and provided an update on state funding for community colleges.
State funding for the 2026 fiscal year was $11,410,029. Funding for the 2027 fiscal year was presented at $11,644,718, an increase of $234,689. The proposed prorated funding recently announced by the State Legislature is currently in the amount of $10,278,342, a loss of $1,336,376 in state funding. Currently, Hill College receives approximately 55% of its funding from state appropriations.
The motion for the financial report was approved.
Devin Lewis, program coordinator at the Cleburne Technical Center (CTC), gave a presentation of the Industrial Maintenance Program, including faculty updates, an update on the location move from the Marti Building, and the dual credit partner schools.
Lewis provided the board with a review on the program’s growth over the last eight years. The IM Program currently has four certification programs and an Associate of Applied Science pathway. Over the last eight years, over 50 awards have been conferred.
Lewis also informed the board of the continued local growth of the industry, particularly in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and as far as Waco, and the program’s strategic planning goals. The college is currently engaged in partnerships with both Molson Coors, a multinational brewing company, and Johns Manville, a leading manufacturer of insulation and commercial roofing.
Dr. Mills continued with the president’s report, reminding the board of the annual board retreat at Lake Whitney in late June. He also reminded the board of the annual Community College Association of Texas Trustees (CCATT) conference in September in Baytown, Texas.
He gave an update on the National Fitness Campaign Grant, provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, which awarded the college $40,000 to provide an outdoor fitness gym. The college is partnering with Hill Regional Hospital for the additional grant opportunities to fund the remainder of the costs for the project.
Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Ashlee Ferguson gave a report on the Cleburne Chamber Luncheon.
Dr. Mills gave the board recaps of the Good Scout Luncheon, the Police Academy Ceremony, and the success of this year’s Kids College Program at the Cleburne location.
Vice President of Student Experience Lizza Ross gave a report on the Jenzabar Annual Meeting (JAM) conference in Dallas, Texas, as well as the Johnson County Campus (JCC) and Hill County Campus (HCC) student orientations.
An update on enrollment was presented; overall numbers are up for summer enrollment and ended up higher than expected for the May mini-mester.
Vice President Boyle gave an update on the progress of the soccer stadium construction. The project is on target for completion.
Dean of Students & Athletics Randy Graves presented the athletics report. All programs, including esports, are currently recruiting.
Pursuant to Section 551.074, the board entered into an executive session to discuss the non-renewal of contracts. Returning to the regular session, board member Jennifer Nowlin made a motion to approve the non-renewal of contract. The motion was approved.
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 athletic insurance; the bid from Dissinger Reed, an insurance company serving collegiate and state high school associations, was approved.
Dr. Mills presented a consideration of approval to move the July 2026 board meeting from July 21 to July 28, 2026, due to a conflict with the upcoming Institute for Museum and Library Service award presentation to be held in Washington, D.C. The motion was approved.
Vice President Boyle presented a consideration of approval for construction of the Wrestling Facility and the resulting renovation of the Student Center. A bid from KYA in the amount of $1,121,094.42 was approved.
Vice President Boyle also presented a consideration of approval to expend the fund balance for the above renovations in an amount not to exceed $1,511,742.82. The requested funds include the bid from KYA (stated above), a 25% renovation contingency fund in the amount of $280,2733.61, asbestos testing and abatement in the amount of $14,150, technology costs in the amount of $43,347, a technology contingency fund in the amount of $10,836.75, and a construction management fee in the amount of $42,041.04. The motion was approved.
Members present: Christy Bailey, Karen Brackin, Kent Eubank, Bill Galiga, Dr. Allan Lane, Jolene Lehmann, Dwight Lloyd, Jennifer Nowlin, Kevin Ray, Bill Siddons III, and David Teel
Members absent: Guy James (ex officio) and Rick Sullins
The Hill College Board of Regents meets the third Tuesday of every month.