Get ready to vote

• What’s at stake
• What does an LACCD trustee do?
• Fast facts about LACCD
• What’s on the agenda for next term
• The candidates in Trustee Area 2
• The candidates in Trustee Area 4
• The candidates in Trustee Area 6

Sixteen candidates are vying for three vacant seats on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. LACCD encompasses the city of Los Angeles as well as 39 other cities and unincorporated areas, including Burbank, Beverly Hills and Cudahy. Depending on where you live in L.A. County, you could see races for Trustee Areas 2, 4 or 6 on your ballot.

What’s at stake

The Board of Trustees oversees a budget of $9.9 billion (made up of your taxpayer dollars). Trustees decide how to allocate that money: Some of it goes toward academics, and other funds go toward capital projects like acquiring buildings and modernizing others. All of which affects communities that live and work alongside these colleges.

Community colleges are also a blue-collar educational engine for the region. Students are often the first in their families to pursue higher education, and more than half of them earn an income at or below the poverty line, with 1 in 5 LACCD students experiencing homelessness in the last year. Roughly three-fourths of LACCD students are people of color.

What does an LACCD trustee do?

Think of the Board of Trustees like a city council. They set the vision, mission and goals for the district. Trustees:

• Are accountable for how money gets spent and for making the necessary shifts and changes that help students succeed 
• Hire and fire the district’s top executive, the chancellor
• Can push for policies, such as establishing campus food pantries, working with agencies for free transportation, and finding money to help students pay for housing

Fast facts about LACCD

• LACCD is the largest community college district in the nation by budget, student enrollment and geographic area served.
• The district’s boundaries cover 882 square miles and include the city of L.A. as well as dozens of other incorporated cities, such as San Fernando, Culver City and Montebello.
• The district’s nine colleges serve nearly 200,000 students.

What’s on the agenda for next term

• Immigration: California has the highest count of undocumented students in higher education, with most of them attending community colleges. As the Trump administration has ramped up immigration raids, community college districts like LACCD have had to manage their response. Some students have become the heads of their households overnight after a family member was detained. Others have resorted to online learning, afraid to leave their homes.
• Housing insecurity: Nearly 1 in 5 LACCD students have experienced homelessness in the last year. In 2022, voters approved Measure LA, which allowed LACCD to issue a $5.3 billion bond, financed by a new property tax, to improve infrastructure and job training facilities across its nine colleges. Around $500 million was earmarked for housing. Some of that money has been used to house East L.A. community college students in empty beds at Cal State LA. LACCD is now looking to build more housing on land it owns at Pierce College and Los Angeles City College; whoever is elected will be overseeing those developments. 
• Artificial intelligence: LACCD has spent around $4 million on artificial intelligence products and is looking to roll out an AI chatbot next spring. The current one has been described as outdated and providing inaccurate information.

The candidates in Trustee Area 2

Adriana Cabrera

Educator

Adriana Cabrera describes herself as an educator, community organizer and first-generation college graduate raised in South Central Los Angeles. She said her career has focused on making knowledge and opportunity easier to access.

“Access should never be taken for granted,” Cabrera told LAist, “and once we learn how to navigate these systems, we have a responsibility to help open the door for others.”

LAist asked: If elected, what are your priorities? Here’s what Cabrera said:

• Basic student needs and access. “Students cannot focus on learning or complete their degrees when they are hungry, housing insecure, or struggling with child care. I would … expand on-campus legal workshops on housing, wage theft, immigration and credit protection, and strengthen support for student parents through child care, family-friendly spaces and evening and weekend services. Accountability means tracking whether students are connected to help faster, stay enrolled, and complete their goals.”
• Boost students’ economic opportunities. “With a $9.9 billion budget and more than 200,000 students, LACCD should be a stronger engine for local economic mobility. I would … expand business incubators across all nine campuses, and build a [system] … so students can move from education into entrepreneurship, contracting and ownership. Accountability means publicly tracking local spending, student and graduate participation, businesses launched, jobs created and dollars reinvested into students and communities.”

LAist asked: How can LACCD improve housing security? Cabrera’s response:

“Housing insecurity cannot be separated from student success. My plan is to strengthen housing navigation and build partnerships across the 36 cities LACCD serves so students can connect more quickly to local housing resources, emergency assistance and tenant protections. I would also establish regular on-campus legal aid workshops with housing advocates who can help students understand eviction protections, tenant rights, unlawful rent increases and other housing issues.”

LAist asked: How should the district handle AI? Here’s Cabrera:

“LACCD should take a student-centered and responsible approach to AI. I support using AI when it improves accessibility, especially for students with disabilities, strengthens learning support, or helps students navigate college resources. But AI should supplement, not replace, faculty, counselors or staff. Any districtwide use should also consider privacy, academic integrity, workforce impacts and the environmental costs associated with large-scale AI systems. My approach would be guided by three principles: accessibility, human oversight and environmental responsibility.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website
• Notable endorsements: Latino Coalition of Los Angeles

Kristina Irwin

Parent / business owner

Kristina Irwin describes herself as a wife, a working mother of three, an immigrant and “a community advocate who stepped into the political arena with grassroots determination.” She said she served on a school board for one of her children's high schools, has a child enrolled in a community college and is a former community college student herself.

LAist asked: If elected, what are your priorities? Here’s Irwin’s response:

• Student success. “Every student who enters one of our nine colleges should have a clear path toward earning a degree or certificate, transferring to a four-year university, or entering the workforce with skills that lead to a good-paying job. I will focus on ensuring students can get the classes, quality instruction, counseling, technology and career preparation they need while making sure resources are reaching the classroom.”
• Affordability and accountability. “Community college should remain an affordable pathway to higher education, career training and greater economic opportunity. As a trustee, I will scrutinize spending, prioritize resources that directly serve students and classrooms, and push for transparency in how district funds are used.”

LAist asked: How should the district improve housing security? Here’s Irwin:

“As a trustee, I will support a coordinated student-housing strategy that connects students with emergency aid, rental assistance, food and basic-needs resources, legal services, mental-health support and reliable referrals to local housing providers. I will also support using data to identify unmet needs, measure which programs help students stay enrolled and direct funding toward solutions.”

LAist asked: How should LACCD handle AI? Irwin’s response:

“LACCD should develop an AI strategy designed specifically for community college students — one that gives them the skills to compete, transfer and succeed in an increasingly AI-driven economy. We need clear standards protecting student privacy and academic integrity and ensuring students understand both the capabilities and limitations of these technologies. Finally, any significant investment in AI must demonstrate value. The district should measure whether these tools are improving student learning, completion, workforce readiness, and administrative efficiency before committing substantial taxpayer dollars.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website
• Notable endorsement: State Sen. Tony Strickland of Huntington Beach

Roy Payan

Roy Payan did not respond to LAist's request to fill out a candidate survey before our publication deadline.

Robert Payne

Robert Payne did not respond to LAist's request to fill out a candidate survey before our publication deadline.

Steven Veres

Incumbent

Steven Veres has been an LACCD trustee since 2011. He has also been a city council member in San Fernando, as well as a college faculty member. In his time on the board, he said he has worked to improve graduation and transfer rates, modernize the district’s schools and expand career pathways. He said his ongoing work includes expanding tuition-free college and paid internships.

LAist asked: If elected, what are your priorities? Here’s Veres’ response:

• Student pathways. “I will expand paid internships, apprenticeships, workforce partnerships and career pathways while making college more affordable and addressing barriers such as housing, food, and transportation. LACCD has already expanded tuition-free education and paid work-based learning opportunities.”
• Affordability. “Too many students struggle with housing, food, transportation, childcare and other basic needs that can force them to choose between school and supporting themselves or their families. I will continue working to expand tuition-free college, strengthen basic-needs programs and develop partnerships that provide housing, transportation and other support.”

LAist asked: How should LACCD improve housing security? Veres’ response:

“We cannot expect students to succeed in the classroom if they do not know where they will sleep. I will continue pushing LACCD to use district-owned land, public-private partnerships and state and local resources to create affordable student housing near our colleges. We must also expand emergency housing assistance and connect students to existing housing programs. Accountability means setting clear goals for new housing units, tracking how many students receive assistance, and measuring whether these investments improve student retention, completion, and transfer.”

LAist asked: How should the district handle AI? Here’s Veres:

“AI will transform education and the workplace, and LACCD students must be prepared for that future. I view AI as a tool to support people — not replace faculty, staff or the human relationships essential to education. LACCD should expand AI literacy for students, train faculty and employees, and work with labor and industry partners to understand how AI is changing jobs. We must also establish strong standards for privacy, academic integrity and responsible use. Our goal should be to use AI to strengthen teaching, improve student services, and prepare students for good jobs while protecting the value and dignity of human work.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website
• Notable endorsements: California Treasurer Fiona Ma, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

The candidates in Trustee Area 4

Elaine Alaniz

Healthcare workforce specialist

Elaine Alaniz describes herself as a community college graduate whose career has crossed healthcare, workforce development, disaster recovery, public administration, communications and film production. She credits her sister for encouraging her to go back to school: “Through college, I gained technical, academic and transferable skills that opened new career opportunities and helped me build greater long-term stability. Her encouragement changed the direction of my life.”

LAist asked: What is your top priority? Alaniz said:

“My top priority would be a degree and skills through stackable education, where academically and professionally appropriate courses should build toward marketable skills, those skills toward certificates or industry-recognized credentials, and those accomplishments toward degrees and transferable pathways to four-year universities. Students should not have to choose between being academically educated and workforce-ready.”

LAist asked: How should LACCD improve housing security? Here’s Alaniz:

“Housing insecurity requires both immediate support and long-term solutions. I understand this personally because, while attending community college, I used financial aid in part to help cover rent, and I am still carrying some of that college debt today. That experience is why I believe we should carefully examine the full long-term impact of any proposal that adds costs for students. I would strengthen connections with existing housing assistance, nonprofit, emergency-support, and workforce programs, while also examining partnerships and other resources before placing additional financial burdens on students.”

LAist asked: How should LACCD handle AI? Here’s Alaniz’s response:

“LACCD should recognize that AI is already changing how people work and learn, and our strategy has to evolve with it. I would focus on three things: teaching students how to use AI effectively, protecting academic integrity and personal data, and continuously reviewing how AI is changing specific industries so programs do not fall behind. I do not believe AI should replace instructors or human judgment. It should be used as a tool, with clear layers of protection around privacy, accuracy, authorship and appropriate use.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website

Isidro J. Armenta

Fire department employee

Isidro Armenta did not respond to LAist's request to fill out a candidate survey before our publication deadline.

Jason R. Aula

Business owner / journalist

Jason Aula did not respond to LAist's request to fill out a candidate survey before our publication deadline.

Adam Bruno

Educational psychologist and marriage and family therapist

Adam Bruno is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California and Nevada and has worked in the mental health space since 2006.

“I have gone to community college, a 4-year university, a master's program, and a doctoral program. Navigating it as a student with disabilities can be difficult, but the support I received from the school and my family helped me succeed,” Bruno told LAist.

LAist asked: If elected, what are your priorities? Here’s what Bruno said:

• Accessibility for education. “Enrollment is down, and people are struggling to make ends meet. It's hard to go to college when you're worried about survival. I want to see about making college more affordable, which may include grants, bus passes, housing, and other support.”
• Safety. “ICE needs to be out of our schools. I intend to push for laws making it illegal for them to set foot on campuses, the way it used to be before Trump's presidency.”

LAist asked: How can LACCD improve housing security? Bruno’s response:

“I'm looking into the feasibility of affordable housing for college students, or possibly grants, a stipend, or other support. It all depends on budget and logistics, but I'm going to work at it from multiple angles.”

LAist asked: How should the district handle AI? Here’s Bruno:

“AI should be a boon to humanity, but I strongly believe it is being misused. Ethical use of AI includes ethical use of the information AI gathers, and not disenfranchising the humans it replaces. LACCD needs to make sure that the information AI gathers is not being shared with the wrong sources, and that AI data centers are not causing significant harm to the environment. Only then should it be used to facilitate organization and help students learn, but not at the cost of teachers' roles.”

Darryn Harris

Community college educator

Darryn Harris did not respond to LAist's request to respond to a candidate survey before our publication deadline.

Nancy Pearlman

Environmentalist / anthropologist / educator

Nancy Pearlman describes herself as an educator teaching anthropology, social studies and broadcasting at different levels, including middle school and community college. Pearlman is also a Trustee Emeritus of the Los Angeles Community College District.

“I spent sixteen years as a trustee on the LACCD Board and led the effort to have all the building programs sustainable, get environmental study programs, keep Gold Creek Ecological Reserve as an educational resource and provide student resources and get equal pay for part time instructors.” Pearlman told LAist about her previous tenure as trustee.

LAist asked: If elected, what are your priorities? Here’s what Pearlman said:

• Student concerns. “Resources must be made available to help students achieve their goals. Enrollment needs to be increased. High academic standards must be maintained.”
• Community and Constituent Concerns. “It is important that Trustees listen to the concerns of the community college family as well as the local community.  The Board of Trustees' major job is to allocate the annual budget to nine colleges and the District office as well as to hire and work with the Chancellor and the Presidents of the Colleges. It is important to examine these areas and take actions if required, such as providing equal pay to the 65 percent plus part-time instructors. And keeping the Bond Building Programs sustainable.”
• Provide resources from the District to the Gold Creek Ecological Reserve, which Pearlman said: “is a tremendous asset to the District and deserves support.”

LAist asked: How can LACCD improve housing security? Pearlman’s response:

“I have worked for decades to provide student housing and to also make facilities (showers, bathrooms, etc.) available 24/7.”

LAist asked: How should the district handle AI? Here’s Pearlman:

“This is a critical issue that must be examined as to pros and cons.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website
• Notable endorsements: Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Democrats for Israel Los Angeles

Priscilla Umana

ASL educational interpreter

Priscilla Umana did not respond to LAist's request to fill out a candidate survey before our publication deadline.

The candidates in Trustee Area 6

Tonia Arey

Realtor

Tonia Arey describes herself as a longtime Los Angeles County resident who began her higher-education journey at a California community college. “As a trustee, I would bring practical, independent leadership focused on student success, career readiness, campus safety, cybersecurity, respect for employees and responsible oversight of taxpayer dollars.”

LAist asked: What is your top priority? Here’s what Arey said:

Making sure LACCD’s resources help students succeed. “I will scrutinize the budget, ask whether programs are delivering results, and direct attention to the support students need to complete a degree, transfer or prepare for a career. That includes safe campuses, effective instruction and strong connections with employers.”

LAist asked: How should LACCD improve housing security? Here’s Arey’s answer:

“I would expand access to emergency grants, housing navigation and referrals to existing community resources, while building partnerships with local housing providers. I would also consider student housing proposals, but only with a clear funding plan that protects classroom resources.”

LAist asked: How should LACCD handle AI? Arey’s response:

“First, to be clear, there is no stopping AI. That being said, LACCD should teach students to use AI responsibly. I would support faculty-led guidelines for when AI helps learning and when students must demonstrate their own work, along with training for instructors and students. Any district AI tool should be reviewed for cost, accuracy, accessibility and protection of student data before adoption.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website
• Notable endorsements: Alex Villanueva, former L.A. County sheriff

Gabriel Buelna

Incumbent

Gabriel Buelna describes himself as an educator, attorney, former social worker, husband, father and LACCD trustee. He grew up in South L.A. “as the son of Mexican immigrants and was raised to believe deeply in education and service.” In his time on the board, he said he has focused on removing barriers to education, including student housing, food insecurity, workforce training, and in-language education.

“My own educational journey is why I believe so strongly that a student's background, income or first language should never determine how far they can go,” Buelna told LAist.

LAist asked: If elected, what are your priorities? Here’s what Buelna said:

• Affordable housing for students. “Too many students are struggling with housing insecurity while trying to complete their education. We have begun this work, including our new partnership providing housing for East Los Angeles College students at Cal State L.A., but we must move faster. I will push to develop housing across the district while expanding food, transportation and other basic-needs support. Accountability means establishing public timelines, budgets, and measurable goals for each housing project, with regular progress reports to the board and public. Success means housing units built, students housed, projects delivered responsibly and more students staying in college and completing their education.”
• Expanding access to college for Los Angeles’ multilingual communities. "I helped lead LACCD’s in-language education initiative and advocated for AB 1096, which changed California law so community colleges can offer credit and noncredit courses in languages other than English without requiring concurrent ESL enrollment. Now we must fully implement that opportunity. I will work to expand in-language courses, particularly in career education and pathways leading to degrees and certificates. Accountability means publicly tracking the number of courses offered, languages available, enrollment, completion rates, and how many students continue into additional college coursework or employment.”

LAist asked: How should LACCD improve housing security? Here’s Buelna:

“Housing insecurity is one of the greatest barriers to student success. I helped lead the effort to dedicate $500 million from Measure LA to student housing, and now we must turn that investment into housing students can afford. … I will push to accelerate construction across LACCD, expand partnerships with universities and affordable-housing providers, and connect housing-insecure students with emergency assistance and basic-needs services. I will insist on public timelines, budgets and regular progress reports so students and taxpayers can see how many units are created, what they cost, and how quickly students are housed.”

LAist asked: How should the district handle AI? Buelna’s response:

“LACCD should cautiously embrace AI, but thoughtfully and with faculty at the center. AI literacy will be essential for our students as they transfer to universities and enter a changing workforce. We should provide students and faculty equitable access to appropriate AI tools, invest in faculty training, and integrate AI skills into career and academic programs. At the same time, faculty must determine how AI is used in their classrooms, with clear standards for academic integrity, privacy, security and responsible use. We should also carefully evaluate costly technology contracts before expanding them districtwide. Our goal should not be AI for its own sake, but using technology to improve teaching, student success and career opportunities.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website
• Notable endorsements: Civil rights activist/labor leader Dolores Huerta, former L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti

Roberto David Lacarra

Community college professor

Roberto David Lacarra did not respond to LAist's request to fill out a candidate survey before our publication deadline.

Randall Winston

Architect

Randall Winston is Los Angeles’ deputy mayor for infrastructure and climate resilience. He’s also a lawyer, an architect and a judge advocate in the California Army National Guard. He said he’s running for the Board of Trustees to apply his experience managing large public expenditures to the $5.3 billion in bonds the LACCD received as part of a 2022 voter-approved measure. He cited past boards’ poor record managing construction projects.

Winston said students deserve a board that spends money wisely.

“Most LACCD students are working adults, parents, people returning to school after a detour,” he told LAist. “I understand that path because I've taken it myself.”

LAist asked: If elected, what are your priorities? Here’s Winston’s response:

• Measure LA bond spending oversight. “LACCD's construction history includes real failures, and the district is now spending more than it ever has. I'd bring the discipline I use running the city's capital programs: project-level reporting on budget, schedule, and change orders — not a summary once a year, but numbers the board reviews regularly and the public can see. Accountability means specifics. A public dashboard showing every project's original budget, current cost and completion date. Change orders above a set threshold coming to the board in open session, not approved administratively. A Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee with real staff support. And when a project slips, the board hearing why in public.”
• Helping students finish. “Enrolling is not the achievement — completing is. Too many LACCD students take longer than they should because they can't get into a required class or can't get an appointment with a counselor. Those are scheduling and staffing problems, and the board controls both through the budget. I'd align course offerings with what students actually need to graduate or transfer, improve counselor-to-student ratios, and strengthen transfer agreements with CSU and UC.”

LAist asked: What should LACCD do to improve housing security? Here’s Winston’s answer:

“This is the closest thing on this ballot to my own professional expertise. At the California Strategic Growth Council I directed more than $1.3 billion into affordable housing, much of it near transit. Three things. First, LACCD owns land across nine campuses, and California now funds affordable student housing construction through state grants. This district should be competing hard for that money and building. Second, every campus needs a real basic needs center — housing navigation, emergency aid and CalFresh enrollment, which thousands of eligible students never complete. Third, formal referral partnerships with LAHSA and the county, so a student sleeping in a car has somewhere to be sent tonight. And we should survey students annually and publish the results.”

LAist asked: How should the district handle AI?

“Start with students, not with a vendor. I'd be cautious about signing a large systemwide contract before deciding what we actually want it to do. That is how public agencies end up locked into a platform they can't leave and didn't need. I run technology procurement for a city. The questions that matter are who owns student data, whether it can be used to train models, what happens when the contract ends and what it costs in year five. What I would prioritize is AI literacy in our career and technical programs. Our students are heading into exactly the jobs being reshaped right now, and they should graduate having used these tools, not meet them first in a job interview. And faculty decide how AI is used in classrooms. Not the board, and not a vendor.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website
• Notable endorsements: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor