Article compiled by Ryan Kassebaum, Matthew Stewart, Violet Garcia and Tim Lewis.
Twelve candidates are competing for four open seats on the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Board Of Trustees. The community college district in Los Angeles is one of the largest in the United States, and since the positions are at-large, all voters in the district will select a candidate for each respective seat.
The campaigning candidates are former and current faculty members, incumbent trustees, and activists who, if selected, will serve four-year terms. Each member has chosen the specific seat they are running for and are not limited to their geographic area.
A total of 13 individuals are running for board seats one, three, five and seven. The Roundup news reached out to each candidate with a request for comment. Responses have been edited for length.
Each candidate was asked the following questions:
1. “What experience would you bring to the LACCD Board of Trustees and how would you use it to inform your decision-making?”
2. “How would you go about ensuring financial sustainability for the district?”
3. “What are your main priorities when it comes to supporting student success?”
Seat One
Baltazar Fedalizo
Private equity investor
1. “Number one, I’m a business person since 9/11. That’s my vocation, I’m in the business of business. I had an online business in ‘94. I graduated in two years with a four year degree under $5,000. First, it was Subway, then the Navy then [I] worked front of house. I’ve accomplished a lot in such a short period of time. Many don’t believe me until they see the pictures. I worked in biodiesel and in between that I opened a dispensary. I didn’t like what that stood for. After diesel I went back to the Navy and then I went back to merger acquisitions. Then I got into politics and also opened up non-profit organizations. After that I got into politics and my political career began. I don’t want people to have the question if he can get it done. Because I have done it all.”
2. “We’ll have to audit. Not put money aside for all the sexual harassment. What programs are working. But accountability. Just use what programs are working the minimum medium and on this program it’s without compromising. These guys they’re not in business, they’re in a world of a busy mess. And you start trimming that way and so I start identifying programs that are not as effective or effective as it was projected to be and what we resolve that, then we move down, we got the ball rolling.”
3. “Because I’m the guy who graduated in two years for a four year degree, I understand the fact that’s in the process, right? And people just say blanketed by saying, what you gonna do how you can do it? I say attack them at the high school level. For the guy who’s just walked out of prison, he wants to get his rag teas because Chris Collins is known for it because I own a detox center. They’re used to going there to get their drug counseling AA degree, right? He’s not looking to be Mr. MIT. He’s not looking to be.
He’s not looking to be Mr. motorcycles. He’s not looking for that. He’s looking for a vocation where he can get paid ,in where he can excel in and and and as further his skills set and his portfolio.
That’s what he’s looking for. And I want to identify that student at the high school level. Or do you want to get a skill and jump into a trade? So your learning curve is lower, you got a hands- on- skill, and you walk into a job where you’re making six figures. right?
That’s the better use of that guy’s time. that young lion’s time. That’s a better use of his time.”
Andra Hoffman
Incumbent. Director of career services and job placement at Glendale Community College
1. “I am the longest consecutive serving board member on the LACCD Board, being first elected in 2015. In 2020 I was re-elected with the most votes of any candidate in the history of the district (886,000). For the past 27 years I have been an Educator and Director of Student Services Programs at Glendale Community College running the Transfer Center, Career Center and Job placement services including internships, on-campus and off campus student employment. I am also a Board Member with the Community College League of California and am the immediate Past President of the Statewide Trustee Board for Community College League of California where I have direct access and input to community college policy discussions.”
2. “I serve as Chair of the LACCD Board’s Budget and Finance Committee and under my leadership, we have healthy reserves and through various programs including state and federal grants, real-estate and facilities leases and our district foundation, we have been able to generate revenue. We are currently looking at our operating budget projections for the next five years to ensure that we are fiscally stable and continue to have the resources to provide excellent programs and services and to support students.”
3. “LACCD serves the most diverse students in the state of California including some of the most economically disadvantaged, former foster youth, justice involved and formerly incarcerated students, unhoused students, low income working adults, students with disabilities, undocumented students, recent immigrants with language barriers, student parents and there has been an uptick in students with mental health challenges. I have ensured that we have made investments in dedicated resources to help students by providing access to affordable housing, food and mental health services in an effort to reduce barriers, close equity gaps and focus on student success. When re-elected, I will continue to focus on supporting student basic needs.”
Peter Manghera
Teacher
1. “I will bring a lot of experience to the board. I was a teacher for LA Unified for 40 years and for many of those years they taught seniors who went onto the local junior colleges in the area where I live that would be Harbor Community College. I have worked with students in the struggle to try to find the best college to meet their needs and I think I can help them by strengthening the community college system and help them with their transfers either to your college or to learn a trade.”
2. “Ensuring financial stability would be one of the most important things of a member of the trustee board can do. The most important thing was to study the budget and see where we can send more resources to assist students and away from bureaucracy tax raises would be difficult during this time in the economy so we’d have to work on the budget to see where we can find places to help students and get rid of things that we really don’t need. “
3. “My main dream and helping with students’ success is not only to help in their academic area, but also to help students who want to learn the trade. Not much is mentioned about students who want to go on to practical success with the trades such as welding, plumbing, air condition repairment. I think junior college is as a jumping point for both academic and practical trades. I had a cousin who became an air condition repairman and made close to 80 to 100,000 a year, as a result of that training.”
Cheyenne Sims
HBCU Route Executive Director
1. “I am deeply motivated to pursue this position due to my personal journey through the community college system, where I faced many of the challenges that students encounter. Serving on the board would provide me the opportunity to directly address these issues and enhance the student experience as they work toward their degrees. My first hand understanding of these challenges uniquely positions me to advocate for effective solutions that can create a meaningful impact in our community.
2. “I believe financial stability starts with addressing the corruption within the district that is taking away millions of dollars from student success. For instance, a $125 million security contract was awarded to the LA Sheriffs due to the unethical actions of an administrator who had previously been dismissed by a prior district and later terminated by LACCD for sexual assault. This contract could have easily gone toward funding student employment programs throughout the district.
3. To address food insecurity, LACCD should establish well-stocked food banks or pantries on every campus, providing healthy food at no cost throughout the year. Implementing weekly Farmers’ Markets on all nine campuses that accept SNAP/EBT will offer fresh food options to our students.
Additionally, we need emergency response funds to support students and part-time employees facing financial difficulties. I propose allocating $1.8 million, with $200,000 per campus, to create fast fund/direct aid and need-based mini-grant programs for students and part-time staff.
To enhance support further, we should increase student employment opportunities around campuses. By partnering with local businesses and organizations, we can create flexible job options that allow students to earn income while balancing their academic responsibilities. This initiative will not only provide financial relief but also help students gain valuable work experience.
Furthermore, I advocate for tripling funding for gateway housing programs to ensure that no LACCD student faces homelessness. These actions will meet the needs of our students and support their academic success.”
Seat Three
Nancy Pearlman
Environmentalist, anthropologist and former college educator
Pearlman did not reply to a request for comment.
Louis Anthony Shapiro
Retired educator
Shapiro did not reply to a request for comment.
David Vela
Consulting firm owner
1: “I believe there are many ways to increase student enrollment, including offering more courses and ensuring that there is outreach into the local community. I’m also big on increasing dual enrollment programs with local school districts as well as providing basic needs.”
2:“The core elements ensure that students have access to a quality education, which incorporates a way to include students and their voices—ensuring we meet students where they are. We need to ensure that there is interest in keeping physical balance and accountability in the whole system by continuing to provide services to serve students.”
3: “If re-elected to the board, my main priorities would be:Access to High-Quality Education: I will ensure that all students receive a high-quality education, preparing them for success in both their academic and professional lives.Supporting Students’ Basic Needs and Civil Rights: I will focus on providing essential resources like housing, food, and educational support while safeguarding students’ civil rights, ensuring they have a solid foundation for achievement.Addressing the Workforce Gap in Los Angeles County: I am committed to aligning education with local workforce needs, preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow, and helping to bridge the employment gap in our region.”
Seat Five
Nichelle Henderson
Incumbent
Henderson did not reply to a request for comment.
Elaine Alaniz
Medical healthcare recruiter
1. “Elaine Alaniz was born in Weslaco, Texas. She earned an associate degree in Film Production from Los Angeles City College in 2018 and an associate degree in Fire Science Technology from Los Angeles Valley College in 2020. Her career experience includes working as a recruiter in healthcare. She has served on the City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, Westlake North Neighborhood Council as Treasurer (2019-2020) and President (2020-present).
Alaniz has been an affiliated member with SAG/AFTRA, delegate for the GOP Presidential Delegation (2024), the CAGOP Platform Committee (2024), the Los Angeles County Republican Central Committee Chair (2022-Present), EmpowerLA- L.A. REPAIR Participatory Budgeting Board of Advisors (2023), Los Angeles City Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate: Region 6, and has served on the Los Angeles City Mayor’s Crisis Response Team, as a Crisis Responder (2015-Present). All of the platforms that she has served on have helped Elaine understand the unique financial, physical and emotional needs of several communities throughout Los Angeles. This will allow her to make well informed decisions on the needs of each college campus throughout the district.
2. “The most important thing is to manage and maintain a healthy budget and to be conservative with spending. This begins with conducting internal audits to objectively analyze what has already been spent and what are projected costs on current projects. Developing and maintaining job placement partnerships with organizations to help usher graduates into the workforce after graduation, will help to be competitive in the education market. With mindful review, surveys, evaluations and effort in diversifying the current circula, to offer programs, certificates and degrees that are highly sought out in the market, will strengthen high-demand programs throughout all campuses and will help increase enrollment ensuring financial sustainability.”
3. “Affordable education for students by providing electronic textbooks for all courses at no cost to the student. This would not replace the purchase of hard copy textbooks, but rather give the student options and an opportunity to save on the high cost of textbooks. Restore future expectations of workforce success by investing in career-ready training and vocational programs throughout all nine campuses. Food and nutrition plays an important role for students’ success. Although there are programs on campus that help some students with food the quality must be raised up to higher standards, therefore establishing other food options for students is on the top of my list, along with helping “all” students with food vouchers, including international students which have often been neglected with food voucher opportunities.”
Jason Aula
Business owner/journalist/lawyer
1. “Experience California community college graduate; former LACCD faculty union organizer, AFT 1521; currently a lawyer & member of ownership of Affirm Holdings, Inc., Amazon, Apple Inc., eBay, Green Dot corporation, Just Eat Takeaway.com, Lyft Inc., Manchester United Plc, Microsoft Corporation, PayPal, Petco Health, and Wellness Company, The New York Times, Sprouts Farmers Market, & Uber; apprentice to prominent civil rights attorney, Matthew S. Pappas.”
2. “By unwelcoming illegal immigrants and condemning their presence millions of FAFSA dollars will free up for US citizens and humans with legal permission such as a visa since the suspected terrorists launder their FAFSA south-of-the-border typically. The LACCD has become a place where most “dreamers” launder to nations south-of-the-border and other areas of the world from time to time, or fraudulently spend financial aid money “biting that hand that feeds” them (USA).”
3. “Priorities: Re-establish Pierce College Farm compulsively in accordance with the presently breached district master plan for national security & to honor the Pierce brothers. Partner with the US Air Force, US Army, US Marines, & US Navy to recruit students to join the armed forces for real time employment in lieu of transfer or graduation. Condemn evil Chinese communist terrorism in Los Angeles including consumption of canine & feline meat and cannibalism via district mandate. I intend to wipe out suspected terrorist students’ access to our FAFSA funds by partnering with FBI & ICE to make it a safe place for citizen students and students with legal permission to attend and access programs to advance their educational goals.”
Seat Seven
Kelsey Iino
Incumbent. President of the El Camino College Federation of Teachers
1. “I have spent my entire professional career dedicated to the community college system. Three years as a part time faculty member, and the last 14 full time tenured. I work with students on a daily basis and am aware of their issues, challenges, dreams, goals, responsibilities, needs, and aspirations. As a practitioner in the field, I have participated in accreditation, Planning and Budget, Curriculum, Academic Senate, College Council, and COVID Task Force. These experiences make me a critical contributor to the decision making at the community college board level.
In addition to being a counseling faculty member at the community college, I also serve as the Foundation (scholarship) faculty board member, and I am President of my faculty union, representing nearly 1000 faculty. I am also a product of the community college system.
In the last two years on this board I have seamlessly transitioned into the position. I am currently the VP of the board, Chair of the Legislative and Public Affairs Committee, Chair of the APIDA Advisory Committee to the Chancellor, voting member of the Facilities Master Planning Committee, Athletics Ad Hoc Committee, Black/African American Ad Hoc, Gender Equity Ad Hoc, and Basic Needs Ad Hoc. I have represented and advocated for the LACCD District and community college system at Federal, State, and Local legislative meetings, commencement, national and local community events, campus events, and on forums.”
2. “Main issues to support students and the District.”
3. “Mitigating roadblocks for students to achieve their personal and professional goals at the community college and beyond. Affordable/free education, addressing housing insecurities for students, addressing food insecurities for students, enrollment and retention, the Student Centered Funding Formula (SCFF), the great resignation, and providing dignity, manageable working conditions, and purpose to those who work for the District and for the students attending the District.”
Robert Payne
Writer, researcher, and instructor
Payne did not respond to a request for comment.