L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees election voter guide

Name: Baltazar Fedalizo

Age: 56

Occupation: Co-founder of Pow Wow on Parade, a Native American art, culture and education organization. Former Subway franchise operator.

Experience: Certified project manager professional, Six Sigma Black Belt and workflow analyst.

Priorities: I would speak to the tenured professors and administrators to see what is deficient and what can be better. I would implement a comprehensive approach to facilitate graduation or certification and build a database of lessons learned.

Budget: I would identify where the money has gone and what is the yield based on the purpose of the monies. Did it achieve its objective? If so, then continue; if not, discontinue. To raise funds, I would outsource with specific objectives and exhaust all administrative remedies.

Enrollment: I would identify the issues and demonstrate the value of continuing a student’s education. Is it time, money, technology, schedule or support, i.e., child care?

Student success: We have to identify the issue and how it is interpreted by the student, then apply the necessary tools to help them in the process.

Website: baltazarbiz.com

Andra Hoffman.

(Courtesy of Andra Hoffman)

Name: Andra Hoffman

Age: 62

Occupation: Director, transfer center, career services and student employment at Glendale Community College. Current LACCD trustee.

Experience: Board member for Community College League of California. LACCD trustee for nine years. I have supported students who are undocumented, LGBTQ, and parents and programs with an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

Priorities: I’m advocating for workforce housing for faculty and staff. My goal is to have all nine colleges offer affordable bachelor’s degrees and increase the number of dual-enrollment students with our K-12 school district partners.

Budget: I serve as chair of the budget and finance committee. Under my leadership, we have achieved healthy reserves through various programs including state and federal grants, real estate, facilities leases and our district foundation.

Enrollment: Although enrollment is free for full-time students, most of our students attend part-time due to the high cost of living. Part-time students take longer to complete a degree or certificate because they need to work full-time and most likely care for others. I will continue to advocate for more financial support for part-time students.

Student success: LACCD serves the most diverse students in the state, including some of the most economically disadvantaged. There has been an uptick in students with mental health challenges. We should hire more academic and mental health counselors.

Website: None.

Peter V. Manghera.

(Courtesy of Peter V. Manghera)

Name: Peter V. Manghera

Age: 67

Occupation: Substitute teacher and former Los Angeles Unified School District teacher for more than 40 years.

Experience: I went to Harbor College from 1974 to 1976. I transferred to Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Priorities: I want to support students not only with their academic endeavors but also with practical arts and skills. There’s a big need for welders, pipe-fitters and car mechanics. Junior colleges need to work harder to recruit.

Budget: We have to decide where to put our resources and use them wisely. We need to avoid situations like the sexual harassment lawsuit where LACCD was found liable for $8.5 million.

Enrollment: We’re going to have to work hard to show that we have the classes and the academic excellence needed for students to get a start in life because we’re competing with four-year colleges and other junior college systems. Greater effort needs to be made to go to local high schools and have orientations that show what opportunities there are at LACCD.

Student success: The biggest barrier is finding the financing to pay for college. Number 2 is family situations which may not be stable for students to go to after school and study. So we need to work with the students to find out what we can do to help them achieve. We need to have more counselors available.

Website: None.

Cheyenne Sims.

(Courtesy of Cheyenne Sims)

Name: Cheyenne Sims

Age: 33

Occupation: Founder and CEO of HBCU Route, an organization that aims to create pathways for Black students to attend historically Black colleges and universities. Organizer with SEIU United Service Workers West.

Experience: I am motivated to pursue this position because of my journey through the community college system, where I encountered many of the challenges and setbacks that students face. Serving on the board would enable me to address and alleviate these pain points.

Priorities: I would create safer campuses for students and staff by eliminating corruption, intimidation and discrimination. LACCD should allocate funding for one full-time foundation director and one full-time grant writer at each campus to secure grants dedicated to racial equity and social justice. I propose allocating $1.8 million to create fast fund/direct aid and need-based mini-grant programs for students and part-time staff.

Budget: Money can be saved by making sure we don’t grant frivolous contracts and overspend on construction projects as well as other contracts that are unnecessary for the success of our students.

Enrollment: Many students may not have the proper resources or support needed to access college applications or to complete FAFSA (financial aid forms). Additionally, students may not know the services and programs that are offered throughout the district. Enrollment can be improved by reaching students where they are by establishing a more appealing social media presence.

Student success: The district should ensure that students can successfully stay on a two-year tract. Investing in student housing, child care, food security and access to mental health services could help.

Website: cheyenne4laccd.com