Four newly-elected Pasadena City College Board of Trustees members — including three starting their first terms — were sworn in at Wednesday’s organizational Board meeting.
The election saw the majority of incumbents running for reelection, including former Board President Belinda Brown, who had served on the Board since 2009, fail in their bids.
Alexander Boekelheide, Special Assistant to PCC Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas, told Pasadena Now this is the first time he has seen three new candidates defeat incumbents in a Board election.
“In the seven years that I’ve been here we have not had this many trustees begin service on the Board at one time.”
Newcomer Steve Gibson, elected to the governing board to represent Trustee Area 3 which covers areas including Northwest Pasadena, Garfield Heights and Orange Heights accepted the oath from former Pasadena City Councilmember Jacque Robinson.
Gibson, a PCC alumnus who has a track record of reaching, engaging, and working with diverse communities, including the young Hispanic/Latino population, defeated incumbent Berlinda Brown at the June 7 elections.
Kristine Kwong, who represents Trustee Area 5, which covers San Marino, South Pasadena and Temple City, was sworn in by former South Pasadena Mayor Robert Joe.
Kwong defeated incumbent Linda Wah. She is an education lawyer representing both public and private sector entities throughout the State of California in a variety of issues including labor, employment and student issues.
Newcomer Alton Wang who was elected to serve Trustee Area 7, which includes the city of Arcadia, accepted his oath from Jeffrey Prang, who serves as Assessor of Los Angeles County.
Wang defeated incumbent Anthony Fellow in the last elections. He graduated as a salutatorian from Arcadia High. Son of immigrants, Wang has previously worked in various capacities to ensure that all immigrants have the opportunity to succeed in America.
Meanwhile, in the same meeting, Sandra Chen Lau, the only incumbent who ran and won in the recently concluded elections to represent newly redistricted Trustee Area 1, which includes La Cañada-Flintridge, Linda Vista, San Rafael and West Pasadena, also took her oath before former Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard.
Following the swearing-in, the newly seated board voted unanimously to elect Lau as its president and board member Tammy Silver as its vice president. Newcomer Wang was elected Clerk of the Board, also via unanimous vote.
Former trustee Geoffrey Baum, who served for 12 years on the PCC Board of Trustees congratulated the newly sworn-in board members.
“You have picked the very best opportunity to serve our community. There’s no more rewarding way to be a public servant than to be a community college trustee. I’m excited for you about the journey in which you are about to launch.”
“It is one of the best colleges in the nation and I believe firmly, and it is recognized across the state, the very best community college in California. So you have within you a precious trust and responsibility to also keep Pasadena on this trajectory of excellence,” Baum said.
The organizational meeting can be viewed in its entirety through: https://pasadena.edu/about/board-of-trustees/live-meetings.php
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