Candidate for
Trustee; North Orange County Community College District; Trustee Area 3

I have been personally involved in California community colleges since I was 15 years old and enrolled in a 7:00 a.m. mathematics class because I had exhausted the offerings available at my high school. My mother taught nursing at a community college. During the past 24 years, my wife, two daughters, and I all have attended NOCCCD colleges, and both girls are NOCCCD graduates. My interest in, and commitment to, community colleges is not a spur-of-the-moment attraction. I believe to my core in the mission and value of community colleges, and I cherish the success stories of the students NOCCCD helps. I'm not a trustee because I want to be a public figure; I'm a trustee because I can help NOCCCD improve thousands of people's lives in Orange County.

Community colleges have never been more important in California. NOCCCD provides low-cost education to 64,000 students, including returning veterans, displaced workers needing new skills, young adults preparing for university transfer, and residents of all ages who value education to improve their lives. With the state budget in a continuing crisis, we are constantly being faced with the need to do more with less, and dedicated people throughout NOCCCD respond to the challenge every day with energy and perseverance.

As a trustee, I focus on educational effectiveness and fiscal responsibility. Community colleges belong to the public. A trustee's primary role is to represent and protect the public's interests while ensuring an excellent education for students. I don't hesitate to be an independent voice, asking hard questions and insisting on accountability. Trustees need to consider the welfare of the District as a whole when making decisions. No special interest group ever has recruited me to run as "their candidate" to advance their own agenda; they know I will not sacrifice the public's interest to gain favor with them.

Trustees oversee a $239,000,000 construction bond, a total construction program exceeding $400,000,000, and a $200,000,000 annual budget. As a Registered Professional Engineer and an experienced project manager, qualifications that are unmatched by any challenger in this election, I have the expertise needed to ensure that we receive the most benefit for each tax dollar spent.