Candidate for
Trustee; Ohlone Community College District; Area 2

I am the only candidate who grew up, lives in, and works in the Ohlone Community College District. I attended public schools in Fremont (Maloney Elementary, Centerville Junior High, and Washington High + graduating class of 1981), and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences, with a minor in Mathematics from Humboldt State University (Arcata, California) in 1986. After one additional year earning a California Professional Clear Teaching Credential, and an additional year of graduate work in Biology at Humboldt State University, I applied and was hired to teach 7th grade Science at Centerville Junior High in the fall of 1988.

In November 1988, Tom Flanagan, a Science and Physical Education teacher at Hopkins Junior High passed away rather suddenly while jogging before school. I transferred to Hopkins Junior High in the spring of 1989 to fill that vacancy. I have been teaching 7th and 8th grade Science along with an occasional 7th grade Math class at Hopkins Junior High ever since. Tom Flanagan is still memorialized at the school with an annual "Fun Run" named in his honor.

As a teacher at Hopkins Junior High, I have earned additional certifications (GATE, CLAD, GLAD), and have been awarded as a Who's Who Among America's Teachers, and am nationally certified by the National Science Teachers Association. My evaluations have always been exemplary.

In regards to service experience, I have several I wish to share with you. First, I have attended Ohlone College since 1990 by playing in the Ohlone Wind Orchestra + the premier wind orchestra of the East Bay. I used to play the French Horn for this ensemble, but currently am on leave due to my position on the Board. Second, I served as a charter member of the Fremont Youth Symphony Board of Trustees, which provided young students the opportunity to learn a stringed instrument, and perform in a number of ensembles based on their skills and abilities. Third, I previously was appointed by the late Mayor Wasserman to serve on the Redevelopment Agency Relocation Appeals Board. Fourth, I previously served as an appointment by the Fremont Unified School District Board of Education to serve on the Financial Advisory Committee + whose purpose is to provide input to the school board on the financial health of the school district. Lastly, I served as President of the Fremont Unified District Teachers Association (FUDTA), an affiliate of the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the National Education Association (NEA) from 2000-2005. FUDTA has been a member of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce for more than 30 years. As President, I participated in several Chamber events, as well as the Business Alley during the Fremont Festival of the Arts. Currently, I serve as an elected Director to the NEA Board of Directors.

All of these experiences have prepared me to serve on the Ohlone Board of Trustees. I am a teacher who closely monitors issues related to public education. I have advocated for increased funding for pre-K to 14 education in Sacramento, and for public support for public education for several years. I understand the challenges facing community colleges across the state, and realize that the most effective advocacy for addressing these challenges is as a member of the Board of Trustees with the responsibility of balancing the need to educate the residents who we serve as well as providing as rich an educational opportunity to students given the current funding realities. Furthermore, I understand that my role as a Trustee is to establish policy, and not do the work of the college.