McKenzie Announces Key Endorsements in School Board Race

School Board Candidate Patrice Marshall McKenzie announced two key endorsements in a campaign statement.

McKenzie has picked up the endorsements of City Council Members Jess Rivas and Felicia Williams.

“Patrice is exactly who we need on the School Board – someone with expertise in public education and a proven track record of service. I enthusiastically endorse her for PUSD Trustee,” Rivas said.

McKenzie is squaring off against Xilian Stammer for the seat currently held by Board President Elizabeth Pomeroy. Pomeroy has announced she is not seeking reelection. 

“After years of volunteering with Patrice and seeing how she cares for the Pasadena community, I am proud to support a fellow African American woman, Democrat, and community leader with the knowledge and experience to make a difference for our young people,” Williams said. 

A product of the local school district, McKenzie attended Burbank and Allendale elementary schools, before going on to Eliot Middle School and graduated from John Muir High School.

In 2020, she co-chaired the successful ‘Yes on Measure O’ school bond campaign which brought $516.3  million to Pasadena schools to increase facility, technology, water and energy conservation infrastructure, and spaces that support visual/performing arts and STEAM curriculum advancements.

McKenzie said she was thrilled to pick up the endorsements.

“As an educator and community advocate who was raised in Pasadena and attended local schools, I am very excited about this campaign,” she said in an earlier campaign statement.

“I have focused my volunteer and community involvement around the three pillars that I believe build strong communities: stability, service, and safety.”

“Schools should uphold those same three pillars in our communities. Much of my career has been in my being a convener of people and working in collaboration across agencies, government, organizations and community stakeholders to accomplish goals and advance common agendas. I want to bring that same sense of collaboration, partnership and leadership to the School Board so we can accelerate our shared goals of providing the highest quality education to all students in Pasadena.”