Published in partnership with Flint. Daily.
Voters on November 3 will choose from eight candidates to fill two seats on the Mott Community College Board of Trustees.
Mott’s elected board consists of seven trustees who are responsible for hiring and evaluating the college’s president, overseeing the college budget, approving the college’s strategic plan and evaluating how successfully it is followed, setting and following operational, ethical, and other policies, and other matters related to governance of the college. More information about the board’s roles and responsibilities are available online. Trustees are elected to 6-year terms and the seats are volunteer, not paid positions.
Voters in the 21 school districts that make up the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) vote on trustees for the college. The college’s district is primarily Genesee County voters but also includes small portions of Lapeer, Livingston, Oakland, and Shiawassee counties.
Incumbent John Daly III, PhD, who has served on the Mott Board of Trustees since 2019, is not seeking re-election.
One current board member, Santino Guerra, who was appointed to the board last year to fill a seat created when former Trustee Janet Couch resigned after racist posts on a social media page under her name surfaced, is running for a full term.
Guerra is joined on the ballot by: Steven L. Bentley, Andy Everman, Quentin Groce, Lynn S. Hukee, Dawn Muma, Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Watchorn.
Everman has two previous stints on the board, serving from 2005 to 2011 and again from 2018 to 2025. He lost re-election bids in elections in 2011 and 2024. He served as board chair from 2023 to 2025.
Everman served as MCC board chair from 2023 to 2025 during which the body hired controversial candidate Shaunda Richardson-Snell as interim president of the college. (She was later hired as permanent president after Everman had left the board.) The quality and validity of the board’s initial and subsequent search process was questioned by media, local leaders, and faculty, given Richardson-Snell’s lack of higher education experience compared to other candidates. While chair, Everman was also accused by other board members of alleged Open Meeting Act violations and faced a vote to remove him from the role due to a derogatory statement he made toward a staff member, though the board ultimately voted 4-3 to keep him in his position.
Flint. Daily. and East Village Magazine reached out to all eight candidates at the email addresses and phone numbers listed on their filing paperwork and asked each of them to respond to a set of questions for voters to learn more about them and how they view the college’s strengths and opportunities. Five of the eight responded. Their answers are below, in alphabetical order by last name.
Bentley, Muma, and Warren did not reply to our attempts to contact them. They also did not provide responses to the nonpartisan Vote 411 Voter Guide.
Bentley is currently serving on the Burton Bentley Community Schools Board of Education. He and Hukee have both been endorsed by Dana Whitehead-Hopper, the daughter of Couch. Whitehead-Hopper was the real estate agent who sold current Mott President Shaunda Richardson-Snell her home, which raised conflict of interest concerns and accusations from some board members in 2024.
Warren has a campaign Facebook page, but it hasn’t been updated with Mott-related content since August.
We could not find any social media pages or other content related to Muma’s campaign in searches. Her candidate paperwork from Livingston County confirms that she filed to run on July 16 of this year.
Age:
Andy Everman: 65
Quentin Groce: 41
Santino Guerra: 28
Lynn S. Hukee: 74
Andrew Watchorn: 51
Occupation/relevant professional experience:
Everman: Business owner.
Groce: Regional Director, Office of U.S. Senator Gary Peters.
Guerra: I currently volunteer as a Mott Community College Trustee and Board Treasurer. Professionally, I work in federal law enforcement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I previously served as a Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputy and was the youngest member ever elected to the Flint City Council, representing the third ward from 2017 to 2021.
Hukee: Twenty-seven years military experience: Active duty Navy, Marine Corps Reserve, Michigan Air Guard, Air Force Reserve, retired. Over five years experience with a major Aerospace Contractor. Twenty-two years in clinical engineering working in hospitals, including Genesys Medical Center represented by Teamsters Local 332.
Watchorn: From 2020 until now, I have been a lecturer/instructor in the Industrial Manufacturing Engineering Department at Kettering University. I teach engineering design, industrial automation and industry 4.0+, computer programming, and many electrical and mechanical engineering topics. Previously, I have been an engineering education consultant focusing on mechatronics, teaching equipment use, and was a member of the National Instruments Academic Team. I also co-own Flint City T-Shirts and am the owner of 522 S. Saginaw LLC. I was a student engineer at Delco during high school and university.
Education:
Everman: Mott Community College, Ferris State University, UM-Flint.
Groce: B.B.A., Marketing and Management (double major), Grand Valley State University.
Guerra: I earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology from the University of Michigan-Flint. I also was selected to attend Harvard Business School’s Summer Venture in Management Program and have a certificate in Global Diplomacy through the University of London.
Hukee: B.A. Northwestern College, Watertown, Wisc. M.Div. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, MBA, Pepperdine University. Biomedical Engineering Technologist AAS, Schoolcraft College.
Watchorn: I’m currently pursuing an Engineering Education PhD at Purdue University. I have a Masters in Mobility Systems from Kettering University. I also went to University of Michigan-Ann Arbor for both a Bachelor of Science in Engineering-Physics and a Bachelor of Music in Education (student teaching at Flint Central High). I have a diploma from Davison High School.
What municipality do you live in?
Everman: Flushing
Groce: City of Flint
Guerra: Swartz Creek
Hukee: Grand Blanc Township
Watchorn: City of Flint
What boards, community organizations, or other volunteer initiatives are you involved with, if any?
Everman: Served on the Genesee Conservation District and Mott Community College Board of Trustees.
Groce: Former Chairman, Flint & Genesee Young Professionals (2017–2020); Founding Board Member, Equality Caucus of Genesee County; Flint Chamber Ambassador (2016–2022); 20+ years of nonprofit and community board service.
Guerra: I serve on the Mott Community College Board of Trustees and as its Treasurer. I am also the founder of The Guerra Project, which creates positive change in our community through small but meaningful initiatives, and I am a volunteer mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint.
Hukee: Trustee and active member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School in Burton; Served on the Board of Education at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School in Burton. Volunteered feeding the homeless and for “Toys for Tots.”
Watchorn: I am a member of the Flint Downtown Small Business Association. I am on the Flint Public Library Finance Committee. I am Treasurer of the Flint Institute of Arts Founder’s Society. I am currently a singer with the Carolyn Mawby Chorale where I was formerly the treasurer. I sang for several years at the Court Street United Methodist Church in the Chancel Choir. Finally, I am also a recurring guest presenter at the UUCF church in Flint.
Do you promise voters that you will file your campaign finance statements by all required pre- and post-election deadlines for the general election? If not, have you filed a Reporting Waiver and do you promise voters that your campaign will not receive or expend more than $1,000 in your election bid, per that waiver’s requirement?
Everman: I have filed a Reporting Waiver and will not spend over $1,000.
Groce: Yes. My campaign has not filed a Reporting Waiver, and we will file all required pre- and post-election campaign finance statements on time.
Guerra: Yes.
Hukee: Yes.
Watchorn: I do promise to file the required campaign finance statements by their deadlines for this election.
What connection(s) do you have to Mott Community College?
Everman: Alumni and I have served on the Board of Trustees. As a student in the 1980s I was on the student government.
Groce: Mott is my neighbor. I’m a homeowner in Flint’s College Cultural Neighborhood, which surrounds the campus, and a taxpayer who helps fund this college and has a stake in how it’s governed. Earlier in my career at MLive, I worked on the advertising for a previous Mott millage renewal. I started attending Board meetings in person because I care about what happens there, including the meetings that shaped the college’s recent leadership transition. What I saw is why I’m running. Along the way I’ve listened to the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who know Mott best, and I’m proud to be endorsed by MCCEA, the people in the classroom and advising students every day.
Guerra: Mott has been an important part of my life and our community. I currently serve as a Trustee and Treasurer, and I have seen firsthand the role Mott plays in providing affordable, accessible education and workforce opportunities throughout our region. I also have a personal connection through my family and the many community members whose lives have been impacted by Mott.
Hukee: I have encouraged young people to consider the college as a way to a better career, having benefitted myself from my Associates Degree from Schoolcraft College. Also a taxpayer since 2009.
Watchorn: I did take a dual-enrollment course in English in 1992 at Davison High School that was taught by Mott faculty. As co-owner of Flint City T-Shirts, I have seen the valuable contribution well-educated Mott grads can make to local organizations. Flint City T-Shirts has employed half a dozen employees with Mott degrees who made that organization possible. I also sing with the Mawby Chorale, where our music is made better by connections to the Mott Music program, both through choir member training and access to the excellent faculty who have collaborated with the group.
Why did you decide to run for the Mott Community College Board of Trustees?
Everman: I have a profound commitment to maintaining and improving the educational opportunities for our students and community.
Groce: I decided to run after sitting in the audience at Mott Board meetings. What I saw was a college that changes lives and a Board whose headlines were about itself, not its students. That gap is why I’m running. I’ve spent 20 years serving on boards, and I know the difference between a board that governs and one that reacts: open meetings, clear process, and trustees who do their core jobs. For a century, Mott has been where people here go to start over, skill up, and move forward. The next Board inherits a new strategic plan and decides whether it gets delivered. I’d rather help build that than watch from the audience. Possibility isn’t inherited. It’s built.
Guerra: After being appointed to the Board in 2025, I saw an opportunity to continue serving our community and help ensure Mott remains a high-quality, accessible, and affordable institution that creates opportunities for students and families.
Hukee: I want to make sure common sense rules the day regarding the management of this great community resource.
Watchorn: Mott is an important resource for our region. It is the first experience that many in our community have with non-mandatory education. Mott grads make positive contributions to our companies, neighborhoods and organizations because of their increased skill and broader scope of understanding. Mott should be affordable, excellent, safe, and thriving. Current board practice has not lived up to the importance of the college or to meeting the goals listed above. If you Google search for controversial board actions since 2022, you will see my point. The board should have members committed to using board best practices, transparency in government, their community engagement, and personal expertise to make Mott the affordable, excellent, safe, and thriving college this community deserves.
What separates you from other candidates running for the Mott Board of Trustees?
Everman: I have experience and knowledge of the school and of the Board and I have maintained an interest in the future of the school. Also I wrote a “Trustee Orienteering Manual” for new Trustees.
Groce: Experience governing, not just opinions about governance. I’ve served on boards for 20+ years, including four years as Chairman of Flint & Genesee Young Professionals and as a founding board member of the Equality Caucus of Genesee County. My career spans business development at Apple, campaign strategy at MLive, and public service, so I read a budget and a room equally well. I graduated in 2009, into the Great Recession, so I know what it’s like to train for a job market that shifts under your feet. And I’ve earned support across the people Mott serves: its faculty, organized labor, sitting trustees, and community leaders. I work across disagreement and stay at the table until we find agreement.
Guerra: I bring a combination of diplomatic relations, local government, community service and current board experience. I understand the responsibilities of public service and the importance of working with people from different backgrounds to find common ground.
Hukee: I put forward my positive plan: “Keeping Technical Training and College affordable for our young people and those seeking good paying second careers!”
Watchorn: My experience mixes business, educational, and community board experience that I don’t think any other board member has. I am currently involved in the day-to-day operation of a university as a lecturer at Kettering. I have owned several businesses in Flint and was a manager at a technology company with global reach. I have engaged for 15+ years in improving higher education through collaboration to make learning more hands-on and relevant to students. It’s also important to be out in the community listening. In my several roles downtown in Flint, and at Kettering and Purdue, I am a collaborator and listen to feedback from those around me. Finally, I continue to learn and grow through experiences like pursuing a Master’s and a PhD.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the college?
Everman: The Headlee Amendment requires that local governments reduce tax rates, or “roll back” millages, if the taxable value of properties in their jurisdiction increases more than the rate of inflation. This is to ensure that the total amount of money collected by the government doesn’t exceed the rate of inflation. However, the 2007–2008 financial crisis lowered the property values for residents while reducing the revenue to public schools and MCC. The costs at MCC continue to grow. Also, the competition from universities for students, declining birth rate and lower high school graduation rates will all have a long-term impact on the college’s enrollment. Traditional community college leadership structure, rooted in stewardship and consensus-building, was never designed to navigate this environment.
Groce: Rebuilding public trust is first. Voters I talk with want to see the Board’s business done in public, with closed sessions limited to what the Open Meetings Act allows. Second, AI is changing work faster than any curriculum cycle. Mott must teach students to use it well and retrain workers into new roles, not out of jobs. Third, federal support for higher education is less certain, and budget reviews will require care and transparency with the faculty and staff who make Mott work. Finally, enrollment: not every high school in the district fully participates in dual enrollment, and transportation is a real barrier for students who want to start college early.
Guerra: Our community will face a rapidly changing workforce, especially as artificial intelligence continues to grow and transform industries. The Board should prepare through responsible financial planning, strong partnerships and regularly evaluating whether our programs are meeting the evolving needs of students, employers and the community.
Hukee: Maintenance and utilities costs for our beautiful campus are bound to increase. The purpose of the campus and offsite locations is for student learning. What benefits the students and makes it a good learning environment? Let that be the question.
Watchorn: Mott Community College, like all other institutions of higher learning, faces the most unstable environment in decades. From the impact of AI use by students to the declining number of high school students interested in college, from our changing local economy to our interest in creating more than just employees for local companies, but informed citizen-neighbors, Mott Community College will need to have policies and advisors that will add value for the school. MCC certainly doesn’t need to create more problems for itself by not having the board use best practices in addition. Mott Community College should be able to be affordable, excellent, safe, and thriving even in this changing environment with the right board members to guide its policy, hiring, and community engagement.
What do you see as the college’s greatest assets or opportunities for the future?
Everman: MCC is the crown jewel of educational opportunity in Genesee County and must communicate with alumni and the community about financial and operational realities, emphasizing that leadership changes are not about abandoning the mission but ensuring its survival. While alumni and community members’ donations are essential, and greatly appreciated, more is needed to insulate MCC from financial challenges. Treat alumni and community supporters as more than financial contributors by showing mutual value. Offer roles that focus on their influence as mentors and institutional advocates which showcase their success stories and amplify the college’s reputation.
Groce: Mott’s greatest asset is its people: faculty, advisors and staff who are in the classroom with students every day. Its second is its place in the regional economy. Mott graduates open restaurants, run salons, staff our hospitals and keep our plants running, and its partnerships with employers and labor, including skilled trades apprenticeships, are a model worth growing. The biggest opportunity is reach: expanding dual enrollment and co-op programs to every high school in the district, solving transportation barriers, and becoming the region’s go-to partner for upskilling workers as AI and new technologies reshape jobs. Mott can continue to be a true community gathering place for lifelong learning.
Guerra: Mott’s greatest assets are its dedicated faculty and staff, strong workforce and technical programs, community partnerships and longstanding connection to Genesee County and the surrounding communities. There is an opportunity to build on those strengths and connect even more students with education and career opportunities.
Hukee: I have met members of our community who sit on advisory boards for specific training programs. They too want to help the next generation carry the ball forward. This team approach helps us stay on track.
Watchorn: Mott Community College has excellent faculty, staff, and resources. We don’t often mention that the university has one of the largest per-student endowments of any community college in the state (see DataUSA.io for supporting data). Congratulations to the Foundation for Mott Community College and Development staff for that! It also has a history of excellence, having been ranked as a top community college in the nation only a decade ago. When I moved back to Flint in 2015, Mott was one of the reasons I knew that the community would do well. We should nurture MCC’s faculty and staff, encourage students to engage with MCC’s assets, and continue raising funds to advance its mission and create a solid future for the college.
Did you follow the previous board’s presidential search process and do you believe it was conducted fairly and appropriately?
Everman: Yes.
Groce: Yes I followed it. I attended Board meetings during the leadership transition and followed the process closely. My concern is with how it was conducted. Hiring a president is one of the most consequential decisions a Board makes, and for a college of Mott’s caliber, the expected precedent is a transparent, competitive national search, so the community can trust the result. I don’t believe the process met that standard. As a Trustee, my vote on any future presidential hire would require a national search firm. Just as important, the Board must do its job now: a documented annual evaluation of the president tied to the strategic plan, so every contract decision rests on results.
Guerra: I did follow it and have since reviewed the search process. I understand there were significant disagreements regarding the process, and I believe there were areas where the process could have been more clear and inclusive. As a trustee, I believe future board processes should be open, inclusive, professional, consistent with board policy, and focused on what is best for the college.
Hukee: Only what I have read in the news reports. I will say I am very happy with the results. Just as music does not belong only to the musicians I believe education is too important to be left only to the “educators.” Staying inside our own bubble does not help our young folks or anyone from seeing the broad horizons ahead of us in this world.
Watchorn: Yes I followed the previous board’s presidential search process. It seemed that the board used a process that was not using best practices. The process also had the perception of involving conflicts of interest and closed-door decision making. It was not the process I would have followed.
What would be your three top priorities should you be elected?
Everman: Education, training, and maintaining a strong financial stability of the college.
Groce: Govern in the open. Limit closed sessions to what the Open Meetings Act allows, keep deliberation in public, and uphold the Board’s code, including a documented annual evaluation of the president and public reporting on the strategic plan. Steward every dollar. Handle budget reviews with care and transparency, with faculty, staff and students at the table, and protect the programs that move people into good jobs. Rebuild the bridge. Expand dual enrollment and co-op access to every high school in the district, strengthen partnerships with employers and labor, and keep the Board focused on what helps students finish their credentials.
Guerra: 1. Affordability: Keep Mott accessible and financially attainable for students. 2. Accessibility: Continue removing barriers that prevent students from enrolling, completing their education and succeeding. 3. Opportunity: Strengthen career, workforce and transfer pathways that connect students with opportunities in our region.
Hukee: 1) Keeping costs affordable for our students. 2) Communicate clearly to new students what the course requirements are. A concerned parent of a new student told me she thought her child did everything right by enrolling in June for the next semester later to be told the course she needed was full and would need to take it starting in January. I know scheduling is complicated. I hope we can do better. 3) Let’s have respect for each other, especially for the students. Whether we are agnostic, Christian, Jew, Hindu, or Muslim or other beliefs we live in a great country and an area of Michigan which is full of possibilities.
Watchorn: 1) Restore best practices to board meetings, including favoring open to closed meetings and taking and responding to community input–which will reduce board cost with less legal and parliamentary consultants needed and improve community visibility. 2) Return the board to a path of conducting a national search for its president–which will allow us to know we have chosen a candidate that is focused on college excellence. 3) Engage with the community to restore trust in the policies and practices of the college. Improving this engagement can lead to a safe and thriving environment for students. This should improve enrollment and increase financial support from the community.
Have you ever been charged with or convicted of a violent or financial crime, and if so, how was it resolved? [NOTE: This question is not intended as a judgement on a candidate’s criminal history. We do not believe that a criminal history should be a barrier to anyone holding elected office. Rather, this is an opportunity for a candidate to directly respond to voters in their own words regarding any public criminal or financial records that do exist or public accusations that have been made that voters may be aware of.]
Everman: No.
Groce: No. I have never been charged with or convicted of a violent or financial crime.
Guerra: No.
Hukee: No.
Watchorn: I have not been charged or convicted of a violent or financial crime.
Do you have a campaign website or social media pages for voters to learn more about you?
Everman: No.
Groce: Facebook.
Guerra: Facebook, Instagram, or email Santino4Mott@gmail.com.
Hukee: You may Email questions or comments to LynnHukeeforMottTrustee@gmail.com.
Watchorn: I have two pages for my campaign: “Friends of Andrew Watchorn” on Facebook and Instagram.
