By Lori Dugan
THATCHER – The Graham County Community College District Governing Board elected Tina C. McMaster as chair and Dr. Brad Montierth as secretary at its regular monthly meeting held earlier this week. Both McMaster and Montierth were unanimously elected and began their terms immediately. McMaster replaces Lois Ann Moody, who served as board chair since 2014, and Montierth replaces McMaster, who previously served as secretary.
McMaster has been an EAC board member since January 2013. As chair, she will lead the five-member board as it works to set policy and shape organizational goals.
“EAC has a rich tradition of excellence and achievement. I look forward to providing opportunities for students to obtain immediate job placement or transfer to universities to achieve further educational goals,” McMaster said.
McMaster is a resident of Thatcher and the mother of five children who have attended or will attend EAC. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Utah, obtaining a degree in chemical engineering with an emphasis in applied mathematics. During her professional career, McMaster was a senior reservoir engineer for Exxon Company USA and developed offshore oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of Mexico. While raising her family, her commitment to developing the minds of young people was underscored; she tutored students in math and science for more than 15 years and is currently a math teacher at Thatcher High School.
Montierth has been an EAC board member since September 2015. He was born in Safford and raised on his family’s cotton farm. After graduating from Safford High School and EAC, Montierth graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in biochemistry. He then graduated from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and completed his residency in family practice at St. Peter’s Hospital in Olympia, Washington. After his residency, he returned to the Gila Valley and became a partner at Mt. Graham Family Practice. He has served on the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center Governing Board as medical chief of staff and vice-chief of staff.
