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Alameda County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
Smart Voter

Specific Issues Facing Ohlone Community College District

By Greg Bonaccorsi

Candidate for Trustee; Ohlone Community College District; Area 2

This information is provided by the candidate
The three (3) top priorities moving forward involves maintaining fiscal stability, to be an active partner with the President/Superintendent in the renewal of our accreditation, and continue to lead in the implementation of our bond projects on both the Fremont and Newark campuses along with the development of the Frontage Property adjacent to the Fremont campus.
First, Ohlone College is our community college. It is there to serve Fremont, Newark, and parts of Union City. It is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to see to it that students graduating from the public high schools in the area, as well as those attending private schools, look to Ohlone College as an institute of higher education that meets their academic needs while doing everything possible to maintain affordability. I have worked with students in Fremont and Union City for nearly 25 years, and this experience has taught me to appreciate the potential that Ohlone College can provide to my students as they pursue post-secondary degrees. To this end, making sure that the college remains fiscally solvent with a balanced budget and adequate reserves is a challenge facing the Board in the years ahead.

Second, we must not forget that the community college can be a gateway to providing students with career and vocational training. In a period of economic uncertainty, the community college must be the choice of those who need to be retrained so that they can be productive members of our society. Again, Proposition 98 funding, specifically, and education funding, in general, really constrains a Board of Trustees from addressing these vital community needs. I believe my background in working with elected representatives in Sacramento may help in spotlighting these challenges. It is also important that local business entities play a role in making career and vocational training an attractive path to those seeking these objectives. In the meantime, the Board has a duty to see to it that the bond projects and the frontage property are developed on time and on budget so that there is an infrastructure in place to make this work possible.

Third, good governance relies on the collective goodwill of all stakeholders to work together to come up with solutions to the difficult problems that will confront the Board of Trustees over the next four years. I have a history of working with students, parents, instructors, administrators, and business entities to see that many views are considered before decisions are made. I view myself as a Trustee who listens to input, seeks information from various sources, and is available whenever and wherever needed by the community members who helped to elect me to the Board. Forging a cohesive Board that works as a unit in tandem with the President/Superintendent will help in this area.

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ca/alm Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 2, 2012 11:18
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