The Amarillo College Board of Regents held a special meeting on Thursday evening, emerging from a three-and-a-half-hour closed session without taking any final action, vote, or decision regarding next steps following recent audit findings.
The meeting began with the board unanimously approving the 2024–2025 regular independent audit. According to board president Jay Barrett, the special session was intended to allow regents to deliberate on potential actions related to financial matters raised in the forensic review conducted by Weaver Forensics and Litigation Advisory Services.
“This item was placed on the agenda so that the regents may deliberate action, if any, to take as a result of the financial matters and forensic audit presented to the board,” Barrett said during the meeting.
Forensic Audit Findings
The forensic audit, released in February, found no missing funds but identified several communication failures in how financial decisions were reported to the Board of Regents. The audit followed an investigation into former Vice President of Business Affairs Chris Sharp, who resigned from his position amid the inquiry.
While the audit confirmed that “no money was missing, no fraud, and no personnel enrichment” had occurred, it noted that payments related to increased construction costs had not been adequately communicated to the board. The audit also addressed modifications to the college’s master plan program manager contract, which had sparked concerns over whether proper board approval had been obtained.
Public Comments Highlight Transparency Measures
During the public comments portion of the meeting, Amarillo resident and retired AISD teacher Kim Benson recommended that the college consider adopting and publishing monthly check registers, similar to the City of Amarillo. Such registers would allow the public to view financial transactions, potentially increasing transparency. Board Chairman Jay Barrett and AC Vice President and General Counsel both expressed support for the idea, confirming that discussions had already begun regarding its implementation.
A more surprising moment came when Amarillo resident Michael Ford spoke on behalf of Sharp. Ford read a letter from Sharp defending his actions and professional record. The letter emphasized that the forensic audit found all funds accounted for and suggested that any changes to the master plan project had been approved by former AC President Russell Lowery-Hart and consulted with the college’s General Counsel, Mark White.
“I served Amarillo College for many years as vice president of business affairs. In that role, my responsibility was to manage the college's finances and ensure that the obligations created by the institution and approved by this board were properly carried out,” Sharp’s statement read.
“The forensic audit confirmed something very important. There was no missing money, no fraud, and no personal enrichment; every dollar is accounted for. Much of the discussion surrounding the audit is focused on the renegotiation of the master plan program manager contract. I want to address that directly… Both agreed, no prior approval was required,” the statement continued.
Ford added his own remarks, calling Sharp’s forced departure “unconscionable” and criticizing the board for not speaking directly with Sharp before requiring him to leave. “It was ... ready, fire, aim, and you guys could have had him in and asked lots of questions and gotten the full truth from him, and that was not what happened,” Ford said.
Board Deliberations and Closed Session
After public comments, the board voted to approve the regular annual audit, which had been tabled in February to allow regents more time to consult with Whitley Penn, the auditing firm that conducted the report. Regent Johnny Mize explained that the board had questions about reconciling the regular audit with the forensic report and wanted to examine the audit line by line.
“Really, the main issue that we discussed was, how could that coincide? How could we get such a clear audit, so to speak, and then up against the forensic audit, was a real question. We spent a lot of time, and they went through piece by piece, but basically it’s around the scope we had them conduct that audit,” Mize said.
Following the approval of the regular audit, the board entered a closed session to confer with legal counsel regarding confidential matters highlighted in the forensic review. After approximately three and a half hours, the board returned to open session without announcing any decisions, actions, or votes. Chairman Barrett confirmed the outcome, stating, “No final decision, action, or vote was taken in closed session,” before adjourning the meeting.
College Response
Amarillo College and the Board of Regents have not provided any comments regarding potential legal actions or future statements related to the forensic audit. The college also did not clarify whether Sharp’s concerns or his letter would prompt further review.
The series of events surrounding the forensic audit and Sharp’s resignation have brought questions of transparency and accountability to the forefront of Amarillo College governance. While the audit confirmed that no funds were lost, the discussion over communication practices, contract approvals, and procedural oversight signals that the board may consider new policies to prevent similar issues in the future. Regent Mize noted that upcoming board meetings will include discussions on implementing additional policies and procedures.
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