Pasadena School Board Candidate Scott Harden Announces Endorsement by Pasadena Councilmember-Elect

Scott Harden’s campaign for the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education said Thursday that Harden has been endorsed by City Councilmember-elect Rick Cole, citing Harden’s qualities as a collaborative and committed leader.

Harden’s announcement quoted Cole as saying that Harden is “the kind of collaborative, thoughtful and committed leader” that the PUSD School Board needs.

In a statement released by the Harden campaign, Cole emphasized the critical importance of addressing challenges facing Pasadena’s educational system and highlighted Harden’s strengths in various domains relevant to school governance.

“As a parent, volunteer and professional strategist, he brings unique strengths across the whole range of educational, financial and organizational issues facing our schools,” Cole said. “He has my enthusiastic support and I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with him to support and improve public education in our community.”

Rick Cole was elected to the Pasadena City Council in 1983 and served as Mayor from 1992 to 1994. He also served as City Manager in Azusa, Ventura and Santa Monica. As an educator, he was a college professor at Occidental College and Pepperdine University. He currently serves as a member of the Pasadena Planning Commission.

“I am deeply honored to have Rick’s support, and I am grateful for the opportunity to earn your support as well,” Harden said. “I see each of us as one PUSD family, unified by our love of the district we serve and the children we support. I will work tirelessly to ensure that every student in our district receives a high-quality education and has the support they need to succeed.”

Harden has served as Executive Board President, Treasurer, Secretary, Leadership Vice-President and Communications Director of Parent and Teacher Organizations (PTAs) across the District, including the PTA Council of PUSD which is responsible for oversight of all 21 PTAs in PUSD. He is currently serving as Vice President of Leadership and Family Engagement of First District PTA, overseeing programs and policies for over 250 PTAs from Burbank to Pomona.

Professionally, Harden is a change management and innovation strategist serving Fortune 500 clients in the U.S. and around the world.

For more information, visit www.hardenforpusd.com/.