Community College Candidates and Local School Board Candidates Offer Their Positions

Community College Candidates and Local School Board Candidates Offer Their Positions

By Susan Motander

Candidates for several local school boards as well as those for Pasadena Community College and Citrus Community College were all asked for brief statements regarding their candidacy. These are their responses in their own words.
Citrus Community College District Governing Board Member Trustee Area No. 5
Bruce Carter
I have lived in Monrovia since 1979 and served on the Monrovia Board of Education from 1993 to 2005, including 3 years as president.
* BS, MS and Ph.D. from Caltech.
* 34 years at PCC (Professor, Department Chair, Dean of Sciences and Interim Vice President of Instruction).
* Instituted new vocational and academic programs.
* Won a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to start a Digital Media program.
* Chaired the committee that awarded more that $30 million to student success projects.
* International Education Liaison with the California School Boards Association and Pasadena City College.
* Last year I took the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to meet college presidents in China.
As a student-oriented educator who is familiar with issues in California education, attuned to community needs, and an excellent choice for Citrus College.
Joanne Montgomery
I have enjoyed 12 1/2 years as your Citrus College Trustee and I am enthusiastically seeking reelection. I am pleased with the exemplary education we are providing for our students and I want Citrus College to continue in in the direction they are going, delivering high quality instruction, and empowering our students to compete globally and contribute to the economic growth of our society. I want to support the hard work of our college community and outstanding new president, Dr. Geraldine Perri, Under her direction we are becoming premier college in this valley.
The fiscal scene for the college is constantly changing. We need experienced trustees who know the history of the college and can give the guidance needed to meet the challenges ahead. We need to maximize the taxpayers dollars while maintaining the excellence of our educational programs. I feel confident in continuing to oversee our fiscally sound budget.
Student success is very important to me. Citrus College has a long list of success. We have just completed our new 5-year Strategic Plan, which will be our blueprint for the future, supporting college mission, vision and values, and ensuring success for all students. These high quality educational programs will lead to attainment of degrees, certificate, employment, transfer. We conferred an all-time record of 1,246 associate degrees during the 2010-2011 academic year. Citrus was named on of the nation’s top degree and certificate producing two-year institutions. Our biggest achievement was receiving a 6-year Reaffirmation of Accreditation with a special commendation for good Board and CEO relationship.
I will be responsive to the needs of the Foothill Area and strive to promote effective community and school partnerships. I will continue to build bridges of support between the local community and college staff before setting policy to maintain excellence in educational programs.

Pasadena Community College Trustee Area No. 2
Brian Fuller
Keep Pasadena City College great!
However, PCC is facing trouble. California’s ongoing fiscal crisis means severe cuts in funding at a time when career training is more important than ever.
More troubling, PCC’s entrenched politicians have become careless and inattentive.
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges found that Pasadena City College was failing to adequately assess student learning, failed to develop adequate ethics guidelines and failed to regularly evaluate its “governance and decision-making structures.”
As your East Pasadena, East Altadena and Sierra Madre representative I will work to:
· Create real world job training for working adults
· Insist on careful and cautious financial management
· Reinforce ties with the PUSD
· Work to increase the number of PCC students transferring to four-year universities
East Pasadena, East Altadena and Sierra Madre deserve better.
On November 8, 2011, I respectfully ask for your vote.
Jeanette Mann
These are hard times for community colleges. Many have been forced to lay off faculty, make deep cuts in course offerings, or consider bankruptcy. Thanks to careful budgeting, PCC has avoided such disasters. We’ve expanded course offerings. No faculty layoffs. Our finances are rock-solid. This didn’t happened by accident. I’ve worked hard to maintain fiscal discipline in good times and bad. This year I was the only Trustee to vote against hiring four new vice-presidents. I believe every dollar should go for education, not for more bureaucracy. My first commitment continues to be educating our young people. PCC’s energetic new president needs an experienced Board to continue to improve training for jobs in today’s economy and guarantee district high school students priority admission. With my many years of experience as a university manager, teacher (PhD in English), and Trustee, I believe I can provide the leadership to keep PCC #1.
Pasadena Community College Trustee Area No. 4
M.O.. “Maestro” Enriquez-Marquez
Citizen Enriquez-Marquez acknowledges the greatness of PCC to provide a low cost entry to collegian life. As the pearl of California’s Community Colleges-PCC increases the human capital of the entire region, but only a small portion of those in attendance are from Western Altadena and Northwest Pasadena. PCC’s Board of Trustees should make a strategic decision to re-orient itself to serve the needs of this community. That can be achieved by giving registration priority to the LOCAL residents of PCC; outside district residents are always welcomed.
Responsible re-districting of the Trustee areas would make the wishes of Altadena-Pasadena residents more pertinent to the governance of the college. Twenty years ago I submitted a re-districting plan that would do just that. This August, I submitted a new plan to the Board of Trustees for this decennial re-districting.
Alumnus: Saint Andrew’s, Saint Francis HS, UCLA, PCC, University of Washington, Indiana University, CSULA.
William Thompson
When elected to PCC’s Board of Trustees in 2007, one of my goals was to increase the number of local students attending PCC.
I’m happy that significant progress has been made!The”Pathways to Degree Program,” with Cal State LA and Pasadena Unified School District, is one example, guaranteeing admission to PCC for PUSD students, enrollment in courses required for graduation, and admission to Cal State. This assures local students the best from PCC.
PCC is a great community college – each year, students transfer to top-ranked private and public universities. Importantly, we’re fiscally responsible – balancing our budget and improving the quality of education. Many colleges have cut deeply and struggle to survive.
I work as an Intellectual Property attorney. I have extensive civic involvement… Mayor of Pasadena and 16 years on the City Council. Currently, I’m President of PCC’s Board of Trustees.
Vote for me on November 8th!
Trustee Area No. 6
John Martin
John Martin is the first person ever elected to the Pasadena Community College Board from the Temple City and Rosemead area and continually demonstrates proven leadership being selected Board President five different times. John Martin’s many endorsements for re-election include State Community College Chancellor, Dr. Jack Scott and every city Mayor in his district.
Since first elected John Martin has been a part of PCC’s new resurgence which includes a dramatically modernized campus, new Veteran’s Center and emphasis on student success in over 60 transfer programs and 70 Career and Technical programs that enable students to find meaningful jobs. PCC now ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation.
John Martin’s priority continues to be “More Classes”. With state funds being drastically cut, John Martin uses his Masters Degree in Economics and financial expertise as a Chief Financial Officer to reduce bureaucracy and fight for “More Classes”.
Christopher W. Cofer
Today, decisions are being made that limit students’ access to higher education. We need to examine the college’s priorities and put the interests of our residents first. Access to quality education and a well-supported faculty are my top priorities.
We can’t afford to shift funds away from student instruction. Let’s work to reverse this trend and promote a college budget with students’ needs as its primary obligation. I will work with businesses and local organizations to meet today’s changing occupational demands.
I am a Community College Teacher, US Army veteran, and life-long resident. I attended local public schools and started college at PCC. I graduated from CSUN and Baylor University and value accessible public education.
I will work to ensure that our common interests are the highest priority. I ask for the opportunity to be of service to our community, for your support and vote on November 8th.

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