Candidate for
Board Member; Palomar Community College District

Since 1997 I have served Palomar College, first as a Part-time Faculty member and now as a Trustee. Since 2002, I have experienced first-hand the positive transformation Palomar has on improving students lives.

We have experienced record enrollments and new record numbers of graduating students. We are erecting new buildings on our San Marcos campus to improve student success and accessibilty to classes. These include completed buildings for: Natural Sciences and Health Sciences (Nursing/Dental Assisting); and new buildings in-work now: Industrial Technology, Multi-Instructional, and Performing Arts Center and Planetarium.

We have purchased land at the I-15 and Hwy 76 corridor to build a new Center to serve the Northern portion of our District, and a new building in Rancho Bernardo to serve the Southern portion of our District.

These building projects have enhanced our local economy here in North County by providing jobs and increasing the number of classrooms to serve students. We have been prudent and are implementing sustainable energy (Solar) and LEED-compliant buildings for energy efficiency. The District was nominated by the San Diego Taxpayers Association for a "Golden Watchdog Award" for using taxpayers dollars in a fiscally-responsible manner.

Our fiscal responsibility has also resulted in no layoffs or furloughs for full-time employees, which is challenging in the current economic climate and state-budget crisis.

I support affordable student fees, improving student access to classes, keeping US History as a requirement for Associate Degrees earned at Palomar College, and continuously improving our facilities, course offerings and student graduation/completion rates to ensure student success!

Our Accreditation renewal process is in full-swing with the implementation of a new Integrated Planning and Resource Allocation Model. The entire college community is committed to ensuring that the college's budget plans link directly to resource allocation, and that a cycle of annual reviews ensures we meet measurable goals. A follow-up report is due to the Acceditation Commission on March 2011, and will be followed by a visit of Commission representatives.