These Pasadena voter guides for the March 5 primary election were created in partnership with The Courier, an independent publication produced and run by Pasadena City College students.
What does the board of trustees do?
The community college's trustees set the vision, mission, and goals for their district. The seven-member elected board of trustees:
- Makes sure community members’ needs are reflected in district priorities. For instance, if a trustee hears that prospective students are having trouble figuring out how to register for classes, they can bring that concern to the rest of the board and chancellor.
- Is accountable for how money gets spent and for making the necessary shifts and changes that help students succeed. The district has a $218 million budget for 2023-24.
- Hires and fires the district’s top executive, the superintendent-president. The current superintendent-president, José Gómez, is currently on an interim basis while PCC searches for a new permanent leader.
- Can push for certain policies such as establishing campus food pantries, working with agencies for free transportation, and finding money to help students pay for housing.
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Some candidates did not reply to our requests for images. Some do not have a campaign website and/or list of endorsements available online at the time of publication. We will update this guide as more candidate information becomes available.
Even if you don’t attend or work at a community college, the board’s work extends to much more than academics. They approve expansion plans and new construction that can affect the surrounding community. Community colleges are also engines for their local economies, and a board sets administrative goals that help ensure a college’s success. Community colleges often offer events and other opportunities that are open to the public, as well.
More Voter Guides
How to evaluate judges
- L.A. Superior Court: There are more than two dozen judges up for election or reelection.
- Judge ratings: Understanding how the L.A. County Bar Association evaluates judicial candidates — and how it can help you cast your vote.
Head to LAist's Voter Game Plan for guides to the rest of your ballot including:
- Pasadena City Council: Five of the seven seats are on the ballot.
- L.A. County Board of Supervisors: Three of the five seats are on the ballot.
- L.A. District Attorney: Meet the 12 candidates running to be the county's prosecutor.
- Prop. 1: Here's a closer look at the proposal at the center of a debate over how to best help people struggling with mental health, drug and alcohol issues.
The Pasadena City College (PCC) Board of Trustees over the last few years has faced several controversies over its return to in-person instruction during a wave of COVID-19. That resulted in a vote of no confidence from faculty against former Superintendent-President Dr. Erika Endrijonas and the board of trustees in early 2022.
That controversy also led to several upsets for incumbent trustees in the June 2022 election. In May 2023, amid ongoing contract negotiations with the PCC board, Endrijonas announced her departure to become superintendent-president of Santa Barbara College.
Two trustees will retire this March: Jim Osterling from Area 2 and John Martin from Area 6. Tammy Silver from Area 4 is running unopposed for a second term.
Unlike many of the other races in March, this election isn't a primary — the top vote-getter wins.
What's on the agenda for the next term?
Budget crunch: California faces a massive budget deficit that has the chance to affect the amount of funding available to the state’s community colleges, including various aid programs at PCC.
Consistent elections: Trustees have also pressed to streamline their elections so that they happen in the same month. Currently, trustees from seats 1, 3, 5 and 7 have their elections in the June primaries during midterm years, while trustees in seats 2, 4 and 6 have their elections in March during general election years.
New president: The board is in the midst of a presidential search that is expected to last until April. In late January, PCC’s Academic Senate (which represents faculty) and Management Association (which represents deans, managers, and supervisors) voted no confidence in the board’s current search for a new superintendent-president.
The candidates
Area 2
Area 2 includes portions of Altadena and the Angeles National Forest. Jim Osterling, the incumbent, announced in December 2023 that he would not seek reelection to the board of trustees.
James Aragon
Aragon, like his challenger in this race, does not have a website or defined platform that he is running on. Aragon was an adjunct professor and full time counselor at Pasadena City College for more than 25 years before resigning in December 2021. He also serves as a board member with the Latinx Equality Alliance, which advocates for the wellbeing and health of the LGBTQ+ Latinx community. According to the Latinx Equality Alliance, he currently serves as an adjunct professor at Glendale Community College, however he doesn’t appear in the school directory.
More resources:
- Website: jamesaragonforpcc.com
- Endorsements: None listed
Kevin D. Strotz
Strotz is running for the first time as a candidate. While there is no information available on his campaign website, Strotz does serve as the representative for the bona fide taxpayers’ organization on the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee for Measure PCC. That $565 million bond overwhelmingly passed in November 2022 and is funding new and ongoing construction projects and upgrades at the college for the next several years.
More resources:
- Website: None listed
- Endorsements: None listed
Area 4
Area 4 includes Pasadena and part of Temple City.
Tammy Silver (incumbent)
Silver is running unopposed for a second term. Her campaign is focused on a six-point plan. Among her priorities: “supporting student success” by improving support and counseling for students; giving board members training on how to be more transparent; and working with the University of California and Cal State to improve transfer pathways and control costs. Beyond her role at PCC, she volunteers with local organizations, including the Oak Knoll Neighborhood Association and the Pasadena Rotary Club.
More resources:
- Website: tammysilver4pcc.com
- Endorsements: See full list of endorsements
Area 6
Area 6 includes portions of Rosemead, El Monte, Arcadia, San Gabriel and Temple City. Incumbent John Martin announced his retirement in October 2023. The two candidates for this office participated in a candidate forum in January organized by the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, which you can watch here.
Ryan Liu
Liu is a PCC alumnus and now serves as an attorney for Cooley LLP. His platform lists student success as a priority; he says he’ll expand offerings in courses that are necessary to transfer to four-year colleges and universities, and expand internships and apprenticeships. He also supports the college’s efforts to re-establish a satellite campus in Rosemead and “expand initiatives like dual enrollment at every local high school."
More resources:
- Website: ryanliu.info
- Endorsements: See full list of endorsements
John Quintanilla
Quintanilla is a PCC alumnus, and currently serves as school board president for the Rosemead School District. He does not have a website for this race. At the January candidate forum, he said he believes that his experience as an owner of several businesses in the Rosemead area will serve him well as a trustee on the PCC board. He also said he intends to bring policies to better help students with special needs, citing a frustration he often sees in K-12: "Many times, special ed is stuck at the back of the campus."
- Website: None listed
- Endorsements: None listed
More Voter Guides
Pasadena
- Mayor: Mayor Victor Gordo is running for a second term against Allen Shay.
- City Council: There are five districts on the ballot: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6.
- Pasadena City College Board of Trustees: Areas 2 and 6 have new candidates running, while Area 4 has an uncontested incumbent.
L.A. County
- Board of Supervisors: There are three districts on this ballot: 2, 4 and 5.
- District Attorney: Compare the 12 candidates running for District Attorney.
- Los Angeles Unified School District: Here's an overview of the challenges facing the district. Plus: Meet the candidates vying to represent your child's education in districts 1, 3, 5 and 7.
- The judiciary: There are more than two dozen judges up for election or reelection. Plus: Tips to make sure you're putting right person on the bench.
- County Central Committees: There are nearly 200 seats up for election for these committees, which govern L.A.'s political parties.
Overwhelmed? We have some shortcuts for you.
- Four races that have the most impact on your day-to-day life
- If you care about housing affordability
- If you care about homelessness
- If you care about public safety and criminal justice
- If you care about the climate emergency
Statewide races
- Prop. 1: Evaluating a $6.38 billion bond proposition that aims to create more housing, treatment and support for people struggling with mental health, drug and alcohol issues. Plus: A guide to understanding California's Proposition system.
Head to the Voter Game Plan homepage for the latest in election news.
