Maricopa County community colleges chancellor to step down

PHOENIX (AP) — The chancellor of the Maricopa County Community Colleges District says she intends to step down when her contract ends in May 2020.

Maria Harper-Marinick has been with the district for nearly 28 years and was appointed chancellor in 2016.

She says it’s time for a new direction in her professional life.

In April, Harper-Marinick faced a vote of “no confidence” by the Maricopa Community Colleges Faculty Association.

Faculty representatives at nine of 10 colleges in the district signed votes of “no confidence” in Harper-Marinick’s leadership.

In a statement Tuesday, Harper-Marinick says the college district has made significant progress and has implemented changes that will yield positive outcomes.