Michele Jenkins, 72, a member of the Santa Clarita Valley Community College District Board of Trustees that oversees College of the Canyons, died Monday, Feb. 6.

Jenkins had served on the board as a trustee since 1984. She was last re-elected to the board in 2021.

She was the longest serving current COC board member, with a lifelong connection to COC. Jenkins was enrolled as a student when the college opened for its first semester in fall 1969 at the Hart High School campus.

She was among the board members who voted to hire current COC Chancellor Dianne Van Hook in 1988.

“I owe an incredible debt of gratitude to Michele Jenkins,” said Van Hook, in a statement released Thursday. “I am convinced that her presence on the board is the reason why I am here at College of the Canyons. She had the courage to hire a female in a time in Santa Clarita when that wasn’t popular, she believed in the potential of people in situations, she believed that relationships matter, she invested her time and energy to make sure she contributed to the lives of the people with whom she cared about and the places with which she associated, and she put her actions behind her words and she always did so with a sense of fun and integrity.”

Jenkins is survived by her husband Greg, a son and daughter and four grandchildren. A son preceded her in death in 2019.

A memorial service for Jenkins will be scheduled later this spring.

The College of the Canyons board of trustees will meet Saturday, Feb. 11 in special session to move to approve the procedure and timeline in making a provisional appointment as a result of the death of Jenkins.