2

Special Edition January 2012 Vol. 55

SPECIAL EDITION

The Southwestern College Sun

A TIMELINE OF SWCs WEB OF CONSTRUCTION

Corruption
LEGEND
Movement of Prop. R money New SWC administrator takes office SWC administrator leaves office Related event
MARCH 27, 2010 | Southwestern College Foundation hosts Havana Nights fund raising gala at Loews Coronado Resort. No media or cameras allowed. MARCH 9, 2010 | In a letter to Focuscom owner Dan Hom, Alioto approves an extended 1,000hour public relations contract. The cost of the contract was $100,000 and was to be paid by Seville. MARCH 15, 2010 | In his role as VPBFA, Alioto oversees a public showcase of seven finalists for corner lot architectural contract.

On the trail of public

AUGUST 2007 | Raj K. Chopra hired as superintendent/ president of Southwestern Community College District. He had previously worked at the Phoenix Unified School District and was hired by SWC days before he was to be fired in Arizona. Members of the board that hired Chopra include Yolanda Salcido, Dr. Jean Roesch, Terri Valladolid, Dr. Jorge Dominguez and David Agosto.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 | Vice President of Student Services Greg Sandoval resigns from Southwestern College amid charges of sexual harrassment. Sandoval was later cleared of the charges and said he was forced out by Chopra after 32 years at SWC.

NOVEMBER 2008 | Proposition R, a $389 million Southwestern College Construction bond, passes with 71.39 percent approval.

CONTRACTS, MONEY AND ELECTIONS

DECEMBER 30, 2009 | SWC Director of Business, Operations and Facilities Planning John Wilson retires. In January he was working as program liaison for Seville. NOVEMBER 18, 2009 | Governing board approves $2.725 million program management services contract with Seville Construction Services, Inc. that runs from Nov. 19, 2009 - Nov. 30, 2014.

an Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis unleashed her stealthy battalion of lawyers, investigators and armed law enforcement officers in the South Bay during Christmas Week, and sprung her holiday surprise on seven current and former education leaders and their generous friend in the construction industry. By noon the DAs team, armed with search warrants, had raided the homes of former Southwestern College administrators Nicholas Alioto and John Wilson, Sweetwater Union High School District trustees Pearl Quinones, Arlie Ricasa, Bertha Lopez and Greg Sandoval, former Sweetwater superintendent Jesus Gandara, and construction executive Henry Amigable. A week later the DA released the search warrants to the public. Three inches thick, the affidavits listed scores of alleged examples of bribery, influence peddling, perjury, filing false statements, influencing an elected official and other felonies and misdemeanors. If convicted, those accused face large fines and up to seven years in state prison. All of those charged have insisted they are not guilty and predict they will be cleared of wrong doing. A complicated trail of expensive dinners, gifts, campaign contributions, vacations, golf and wine begins with the voters approval of Sweetwaters Proposition O and Southwesterns Proposition R bond measures that totaled nearly $1 billion in taxpayer funds to remodel and augment aging secondary schools and SWCs Chula Vista campus.

NOVEMBER 2009 | Alioto arranges a public relations contract with Focuscom Inc., a company owned by Proposition R campaign director Dan Hom. Using Prop. R funds, Seville Construction pays Focuscom $35,000 from Nov. 2009 through August 2010 to isolate and expose extremists and manage the media.

JULY 1, 2009 | Chopra hires Nicholas Alioto as Vice President of Business and Financial Affairs. Alioto had previously worked in the public school system in Racine, Wisconsin, where his consulting company was investigated for overbilling schools.

NOVEMBER 2008 | UCSD administrator Nick Aguilar, Esq., wins election over David Agosto for seat #3 on the Southwestern College Governing Board.

JUNE 2010 | Alioto hosts a wine and cheese fund raiser at his home for SWC board members Yolanda Salcido and Terri Valladolid who are running for re-election. Contractors in attendance include representatives from Seville and Echo Pacific. JULY 2010 | Governing board approves $4 million corner lot construction contract with Echo Pacific based on Aliotos recommendation.

Starting Point

Echo Pacific pays $15,000 as the winning bidder for wine and golf weekend with Alioto at a resort hotel in Napa. Echo Pacific representative joins Alioto on the excursion.

APRIL 2010 | Three weeks after returning from Napa, Alioto recommends Echo Pacific for a $4 million corner lot contract.

APRIL 21, 2010 | SWC board votes 4-0 to go with Aliotos recommendation of BCA Architects and awards the company a $55 million contract. Trustee Nick Aguilar walks out of the meeting, refusing to listen to BCAs presentation and refusing to vote. Aguilar said the process lacked transparency and was out of compliance with the boards ethics policy. SEPTEMBER 2010 | Southwestern College Sun newspaper blocked from publication by order of Chopra days before it was to run story of payfor-play charges against Alioto and details of the fund raiser he hosted at his home attended by contractors for incumbent governing board members Salcido and Valladolid. Students defy order and print the paper in Los Angeles County.

MARCH 2011 | Kenneth Pun of Caporicci and Larson accounting firm recommended by Alioto and approved by the governing board in fall 2009 issues findings of clean audits covering period from July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010. SWC Governing Board orders its law firm to hire an independent forensic auditor to conduct a focused review of Proposition R construction contracts and Southwestern College Educational Foundation. FEBRUARY 2011 | Alioto resigns, receives $60,000 separation settlement but no district-funded legal guarantees.

JANUARY 2011 | Governing board hires Denise Whittaker as districts interim superintendent/president. She serves through December. Board asks her to focus on restoring accreditation, shared governance, preparing for state budget cuts and investigation of Prop R contracts.

APRIL 2011 | Forensic audit underway. Governing board and Whittaker share information with San Diego District Attorneys Office and embark on a fully cooperative relationship. DECEMBER 20, 2011 | San Diego County District Attorney raids the homes of Sweetwater Union High School District trustees Pearl Quiones, Arlie Ricasa, Bertha Lopez and former trustee Greg Sandoval, former Southwestern College Director of Business Services John Wilson, Nicholas Alioto and Echo Pacifics Henry Amigable.

JUNE 30, 2011 | Trustee Aguilar resigns from Southwestern College Governing Board, citing health reasons.

JANUARY 2011 | New Southwestern board launches extensive review of its policies and procedures, particularly those related to contract procurement and ethics.

DECEMBER 27, 2011 | In a statement, Southwestern College Board President Norma Hernandez reaffirms the colleges support of and cooperation with the District Attorneys investigation. Hernandez announces the boards plan to receive the independent review of district construction contracts at its January meeting and to release the findings to the public as soon as possible. Release of a separate investigation of Southwestern College Educational Foundation activities will follow upon its completion in early 2012.

DECEMBER 2010 | New board sworn in. Southwestern College Board now consists of Tim Nader, Norma Hernandez, Nick Aguilar, Dr. Jean Roesch and Terri Valladolid.

NOVEMBER 30, 2010 | Chopra resigns the day before the new board majority can assume office. Receives $100,000 separation settlement.

NOVEMBER 4, 2010 | Norma Hernandez and Tim Nader defeat Yolanda Salcido and Jorge Dominguez, respectively, in Southwestern College Governing Board election. Incumbent Terri Valladolid named the winner three weeks later following recount.

JANUARY 4, 2012 | Nish places Arlie Ricasa, SWC Director of Student Development and Health Services, on administrative leave. District Attorney warrants say Ricasa used SWC email and fax machine on company time to solicit gifts and campaign contributions. JANUARY 10, 2012 | UnionTribune article spells out Aliotos action to unilaterally increase the contract with BCA approved by the board for $55 to $59 million.

AUGUST 2011 | Humberto Peraza appointed to Southwestern College Governing Board on a 4-0 vote to serve the remaining 17 months of Aguilars term. OCTOBER 2011 | San Diego County District Attorney raids the Pasadena office of Seville Construction.

DECEMBER 21, 2011 | Southwestern Governing Board and Acting President Dr. Angelica Suarez release a statement describing the colleges ongoing cooperation with the District Attorney as well as its strengthened policies related to college business with contractors.

JANUARY 3, 2012 | Dr. Melinda Nish assumes position of superintendent/ president of Southwestern College. JANUARY 13, 2012 | District Attorney arraigns Sandoval, Ricasa, Quiones, Gandara and Amigable, charging them with multiple felonies.

To be continued...