Councilmember’s new controversial role with Fresno-area junior college district ends

Fresno city councilmember Miguel Arias recently took on a new interim role at State Center Community College District — though the board terminated Arias’s short-lived appointment after hearing backlash from the campus community.

At last week’s board meeting, the matter first came up during the public comment portion.

Denia Ramos, academic senate president at Fresno City College, criticized the decision to offer Arias an interim role where he’d net $12,550 per month.

Ramos said the position — executive director of public and legislative relations — has been empty for three years and accused district administration of not conducting an open search to fill the role.

“Instead, a lucrative district position is being handed directly to a political friend and a former trustee. Who is he friends with?” Ramos said during the meeting. “Is it because Chancellor (Carole) Goldsmith is done at the end of the month? Is she trying to make sure that her friends have a secure job before she leaves?”

Kate Husain, Madera Community College’s academic senate president, also expressed qualms about Arias’s prospective appointment on account of a June social media post. Husain said Arias shared a photo of an unhoused woman resting on an art installation without her consent before he “proudly shared how he convinced her to get up and move.”

Arias told The Bee that — after filling in as a spokesperson for Madera Community College from January to July — he was asked to take on a legislative-facing role because the district had recently ended its contract with a state lobbyist.

Specifically, Arias said he was tasked with advocating for the district in Sacramento through at least the end of the legislative session, which wrapped last Monday — one day before the board meeting.

In response to allegations that his latest appointment was a favor to a “political friend,” Arias — a district trustee from 2014 to 2018 — said his temporary assignments with the district followed established policies. He said they were approved through the personnel commission process that non-academic employees go through as well.

District spokesperson Diana Ramirez expressed similar sentiments while declining to confirm Arias’s earlier temporary appointment. Ramirez did not contradict Ramos’s claim that the job had been vacant for three years.

When the time arrived to consider officializing Arias’s appointment, board president Rob Fuentes expressed concerns. Fuentes is running for the Fresno City Council District 1 seat.

“I think the potential conflicts of interest, both real and perceived, are significant,” Fuentes said. “My goal here is not to repeat the mistakes of the past and appoint folks that have the potential for very real conflicts (of interest).”

In turn, Fuentes motioned to approve Arias for the role for the period of Aug. 17 to Sept. 1 before terminating the appointment at the end of the day. This was seconded by trustee Destiny Rodriguez and passed 5–2 with trustees Deborah Ikeda and Nasreen Johnson voting against the motion.

Arias said Fuentes’s description of perceived conflicts of interest is a fair consideration. He added that he is happy to be of service to the district and respects their decisions.

“Given my current responsibilities as a councilmember, and the temporary needs of State Center, these roles were always intended to be temporary. I appreciated the opportunity to lend my experience to the district where it was needed and was glad to be of service to the District and the students it serves,” Arias said.

This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 2:09 PM.