About
I currently serve as President of the Board of Trustees at City College, as a member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee and a member of the Prop C Oversight Committee. I was elected to the City College Board in 2016 and prior to being elected I was co-founder and a lead organizer for the Save City College Coalition during the accreditation crisis. In addition to serving on the board I work for the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative as Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships to reduce disparities in pregnancy and birth for Black, Brown and API women in San Francisco, Oakland and Fresno.
I am a native San Franciscan, and a product of all public schools which includes SFUSD and City College. My father was a construction laborer and worked on many building projects in the City and my mother was a nursing assistant. I experienced trauma and violence in my community and at home like many students who are served by City College and entered the foster care and juvenile justice system. I took my first course at City College in 2002 after graduating high school and transitioning out of the system. City College was my only option to pursue higher education. I have been an advocate and organizer for social justice in the Bay Area for the past 20 years and have worked with numerous labor and non-profit organizations.
If re-elected to the board I want to utilize my eight years of experience at City College to focus on serving our most vulnerable students during this unprecedented pandemic and economic crisis. I want ensure fiscal stability which includes balancing the budget and improving our financial controls. I want to ensure the success of our facilities and infrastructure bond program which will radically transform City College’s campuses. I am committed to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion across our college which includes diversifying our faculty in partnership with our academic leaders. As a board member I have made hard decisions to ensure the future of the City College and I am ready to take on the many challenges we have ahead.
I am a native San Franciscan, and a product of all public schools which includes SFUSD and City College. My father was a construction laborer and worked on many building projects in the City and my mother was a nursing assistant. I experienced trauma and violence in my community and at home like many students who are served by City College and entered the foster care and juvenile justice system. I took my first course at City College in 2002 after graduating high school and transitioning out of the system. City College was my only option to pursue higher education. I have been an advocate and organizer for social justice in the Bay Area for the past 20 years and have worked with numerous labor and non-profit organizations.
If re-elected to the board I want to utilize my eight years of experience at City College to focus on serving our most vulnerable students during this unprecedented pandemic and economic crisis. I want ensure fiscal stability which includes balancing the budget and improving our financial controls. I want to ensure the success of our facilities and infrastructure bond program which will radically transform City College’s campuses. I am committed to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion across our college which includes diversifying our faculty in partnership with our academic leaders. As a board member I have made hard decisions to ensure the future of the City College and I am ready to take on the many challenges we have ahead.
City College of San Francisco will be critical to the COVID-19 pandemic recovery, ensuring educational and workforce opportunities during the recession.”
As President and a member of the board, I have:
- Led the transition of our former permanent Chancellor and served on the search committee with faculty, staff, students and administrators to hire our current Interim Chancellor who has 30 years of experience and will help led the college during this unprecedented crisis.
- Worked closely with our administration on the process of moving all our course offerings online and providing wrap around support for students experiencing food insecurity and technology needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Campaigned for the passage of our $845 million facilities bond which will radically transform our facilities and infrastructure
- Served on the Joint Select Committee with representatives from SFUSD and the Board of Supervisors to address issues like Dual Enrollment programs expansion and policing on our campuses.
- Negotiated fair contracts with all bargaining units at City College which included additional hires and pay raises for faculty and administrators.
- Supported the passage of Prop W and secured a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding with the City and County of San Francisco for Free City College. I am committed to expanding the Free City program to all workers in San Francisco and ensure this is a cost neutral program.
- Secured restructuring and reduction of $24 million debt to the State which was due to documentation issues.
- Advocating for representation for Community Colleges on the State Workforce Economic Recovery Board.
- Advocating for Prop 13 Reform “Schools and Communities First”.
- Advocated at the federal level including travel to Washington, DC for dedicated funding for Community Colleges that includes dollars earmarked for job training H.R. 6800 (HEROS ACT) and engaged federal representatives Pelosi, Speier, Feinstein and Harris.
- Supported Supervisor Walton’s proposal for bridge funding and currently support Workforce Education Recovery Fund (WERF).. We know we are in difficult times in terms of our economy. City College provides 300 million dollars of economic activity and should be provided additional funding from the City’s general fund. Retraining our most vulnerable communities will be the key work of the college during these tough economic times.
- Serving on the MOU negotiation committee to advocate for our interests with the Balboa Reservoir. This MOU if it meets the needs of our college will be integrated with the City’s development agreement to ensure our college community is supported and not negatively impacted.
- Supported the passage of preferred name policy and gender neutral bathrooms which has resulted in a safer more inclusive campus for our trans and gender non conforming students.