Darnée Griffin

The meeting included the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call of members and staff. Key board business involved the approval of the December 19, 2025, Board Meeting minutes and a declaration of conflicts of interest, which resulted in no conflicts being reported. The Board welcomed visiting Barber and Cosmetology students and instructors from Turning Point Beauty College and Gateway Community College. The Executive Director provided reports on agency departments, including financials and licensing updates. The Board received Annual Conflict of Interest Training. Significant actions were taken during the Complaint Review phase, resulting in the unanimous approval of staff recommendations to dismiss eight cases, issue letters of concern for fourteen cases, and send one case to an informal interview without negotiation terms. Furthermore, twenty-four cases were recommended for an informal interview with negotiation terms. Under items for Board Review, the Board dismissed one case without prejudice. During the informal interview sessions, the Board accepted findings of fact and conclusions of law for several cases, issuing civil penalties and probationary periods where applicable, and in other instances, moving to a formal hearing unless a consent agreement was accepted. The Board also addressed licensing violations, including issuing penalties for an unlicensed establishment and inactive personal license. The meeting included a call for public comment and concluded with the Board holding an Executive Session to discuss the Executive Director's annual performance review, ultimately voting to issue a percentage-based bonus to the Executive Director.

The agenda for the Arizona Barbering & Cosmetology Board meeting includes standard procedural items such as Call to Order and Roll Call. Board Business covers the potential approval of the December 19, 2025, Regular Board Minutes, declarations of conflict of interest, and welcoming visiting students and instructors. The Executive Director's report will detail agency departments, including staffing, financials for December 2025, testing, licensing, customer care, and compliance updates. The meeting also schedules Conflict of Interest Training, Complaint Review/Consent Agenda items involving recommended dismissals, letters of concern, and scheduling informal interviews with and without negotiation terms for various licensees and establishments. Further items include a review and possible action on dismissing a specific complaint without prejudice, and a review, discussion, and possible action regarding the Executive Director's annual performance review.

The board meeting included discussions and possible actions regarding the approval of minutes from prior meetings, declarations of conflict of interest, and a welcome to visiting barbering and cosmetology students. The Executive Director's report covered various agency departments, including staffing, financials, licensing, and compliance updates. Major actions involved directing staff to proceed with regulatory changes to the administrative code based on a draft update, and unanimously approving updates to the board disciplinary parameters, including changing the wording for 'blood exposure kit' instead of 'blood spill kit' effective January 1, 2026. The board also addressed numerous complaint review cases, moving several to recommended dismissals, issuing letters of concern, or scheduling informal interviews, both with and without negotiation terms. One case regarding an expired license resulted in a civil penalty.

The meeting commenced with the Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance. Board business included the potential for Executive Session to discuss personnel matters or obtain legal advice. The main agenda involved the review, discussion, and possible action on several compliance cases (2023-98286 & 98287, 2023-98577 & 98578, 2024-00687, 2024-00979, 2024-01086, 2025-01493, 2025-01634, 2025-01671). Most of these resulted in dismissal without prejudice due to business closures, change of ownership, or inability to locate licensees. A significant portion of the session was dedicated to reviewing and acting upon signed consent agreements to settle matters. For cases where consent agreements or payments were pending (e.g., Pavilion Barbershop), the board voted to table the matter pending receipt of documents within 30 days. Several other cases settled by prior consent agreement were accepted, vacating the scheduled hearing. For licensees who failed to respond after proper notification (including multiple instances of deemed allegations admitted), the Board voted to revoke both personal and establishment licenses in numerous instances. The meeting concluded with a Call for Public Comment, which yielded no comments, followed by adjournment.

The meeting included several board business items, such as the approval of the Regular Board Minutes for the August 15, 2025, meeting and confidential executive session minutes from the July 18, 2025, meeting. The Board welcomed visiting students and instructors. Key discussions involved the agency departments' reports, including staffing and financials. A significant action was the unanimous directive to staff to proceed with regulatory changes to the Administrative Code update. The Board addressed numerous compliance cases, resulting in the dismissal of 14 cases, issuing 28 letters of concern, and sending one case to an informal interview without negotiation terms. Additionally, 38 cases were moved to an informal interview with negotiation terms. Several matters were handled under signed consent agreements, including the revocation of licenses for Uppercuts Barbershop, Fidencio Arciniega, and Stephanie's Salon, as well as accepting agreements for other licensees. Informal interviews resulted in disciplinary letters of concern, a civil penalty of $100, a civil penalty of $200 with probation, and a $550 civil penalty for an unlicensed establishment and expired license. One case was continued to the November 21, 2025, meeting.