Candidate for
Member of the Board of Trustees; Los Angeles Community College District; Office 5

My vision is to improve and reinvigorate LACCD's educational system, with a special emphasis on improving the quality of education with the goal of increasing the matriculation and completion rates of committed students attending LACCD. In addition to addressing student issues, I pledge to increase the level of accountability and transparency with LACCD's budget and bond allocations. Taxpayers have the right to know if LACCD is being fiscally responsible. The Los Angeles Community College District is a great choice, opportunity and option! I believe that all students, especially high school students, should be better prepared to enter the community college system. I support providing all qualified and committed students with the necessary tools and support systems needed to excel and complete programs. Through collaborations and partnerships, I want to ensure that these students have access to support systems that will encourage them to complete their programs by meeting or exceeding a pre-identified series of higher standards that demand a specific level of competency within a shorter, yet flexible time frame. "The dynamics have changed; the playing ground is global; a quality education is key to staying in the forefront of the game...WE have the power".

As a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, I have more than 25 years of experience working within and for the benefit of communities throughout Los Angeles. Given my vast experience in community development, motivational speaking, consulting, fundraising, professional, and educational recruiting, I have a diverse career trajectory that has afforded me the opportunity to understand our communities. With this diverse set of skills and expertise, I seek to become a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College District. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, I attended Mary Immaculate Elementary School in Pacoima, CA and Our Lady of Corvallis High School in Studio City, CA. I received my bachelor's degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and am in the process of applying for a Masters in Organizational Development. Currently, I serve as the Development and Marketing Consultant for the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley; in this role, I focus on raising funds to support the $1.2 million dollar budget, providing afterschool activities with comprehensive services for more than 2000 underserved youth annually. Beyond fundraising, I have been active in the club, having introduced a motivational teen program that emphasized bringing emotional literacy and emotional healthiness to teens. My community service is grounded in a strong understanding of the local and statewide political system, having served as a representative to Los Angeles Councilmember Richard Alarcon (former State Senator / Assemblyman) and former State Senator David Roberti. In these roles, I served as a community liaison, addressing constituent concerns, participated in community events and executed projects initiated by the elected official. Of particular note, I served as the Director for Councilmember Richard Alarcon's Young Senators Program.

In addition to serving the San Fernando Valley, I have been involved in citywide endeavors, including the Los Angeles Black Business Expo. Through my work with the renowned Los Angeles Black Business Expo (BBX), I directed the West Coast Music Festival, the Teen Summit (serving between 500 - 800 teens) and was most recently appointed, Director over the Tom Bradley Business Institute (a small business and entrepreneurial program within the BBX). I am often sought after for my communications expertise and community knowledge. Previously, I worked as a recruiter and community outreach specialist. From 1995 + 2003, I was a substitute teacher off and on for Saint Genevieve's Elementary School in Panorama City, CA. As an animal lover, I have rescued and fostered lost dogs, rescued wildlife and worked with local wildlife rescuers to return animals to a safe environment after recovery.