The process for filling the vacant seat on the West Valley-Mission Community College District is underway. Nick Heimlich resigned his seat, creating the vacancy on the board that oversees the maintenance and operation of West Valley College in Saratoga and Mission College in Santa Clara. Here are the candidates, as of today, who are looking to fill the position.
Randi Kinman is a former San Jose Planning Commissioner and community activist. She has more than 15 years of experience working with the San Jose Evergreen Community College District, participating in discussions on educational master plans, bond financing and spending, facilities master plans and educational metrics. She is the current chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Policy Advisory Council (PAC), where she serves on the Regional Equity Working Group (REWG) for One Bay Area and is a member of the Equity and Access (E&A) subcommittee. Prior to the PAC forming she was on the Minority Citizens Advisory Committee (MCAC), also serving on and chairing equity analysis groups.
Another contender is Carlos Jimenez, the Director of Diversity Outreach at Bellarmine College Preparatory and a facilitator for the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE). Prior to joining Bellarmine, Jimenez was as the Scholarship Evaluator for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and a Training Director at Amigos de las Americas. Jimenez has served as a Volunteer Coordinator for Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley and given his time as a translator for Educators for Fair Consideration.
Rounding out the list is Steve Landau, the Principal of Steve Landau Consulting. Landau is a marketing professional who served as the Director of Marketing Communications at both Xicato and Philips Lumileds Lighting Company. He has also served as Chair and Secretary of the San Jose District 1 Leadership Group and President of the Winchester Neighborhood Action Coalition. Landau is backed by West Valley board member Chad Walsh who ran unsuccessfully against Paul Fong for California State Assembly in 2012.
With the deadline for applying fast approaching, a few more candidates may throw their hats into the ring. The seat is scheduled to be filled before the end of the year.
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