As of Nov. 8, the results of the Board of Trustees election have kicked in. Cheryl Alexander has an insurmountable lead in the race for the seat on the Citrus College Board of Trustees.
Alexander, Paul Naccachain and Irene Murray were the candidates running for Area No. 3, with Alexander running for reelection.
Alexander has received 1,995 votes (53.5%), 995 votes Naccachain (25.3%) and Murray 791 votes (21.2%) according to LA Vote. Alexander is projected to retain her seat on the Board of Trustees due to the large margin.
Alexander, the re-elected board member, recalled her time when she initially joined.
“I was actually asked if I wanted to be on the board. I was appointed to take the place of the board member Dr. Edward Ortell,” she said
Alexander said she enjoys working with students and wants to continue helping them.
Alexander said her main goal is to “build a bridge” that connects people together to make things better and to solve any issues that come up.
Alexander said supporting the current programs Citrus has that makes it possible for students to pursue an education there.
“We should focus on maintaining what we have right now.,” she said. “We should also be hearing out from the community and listening to what they have to say.”
Alexander said she believes in a post high school option for high school students who are hesitant about attending college.
“We should focus on creating a bridge that provides an opportunity for a student’s future, whether they want to attend a four year college or university,” Alexander said.
Murray, another candidate who ran for the Board of Trustees, said that she learned about Citrus College when her daughter was a student there.
“Sometimes when you come in as an outsider, you won’t know the issues fully until you’re in there and realize what’s going on,” she said.
Murray was initially a part of the Duarte Unified School District Student Board.
Murray said she is an adult education instructor and is familiar with both sides, academic and vocational.
Murray worked as university professor for 17 years at the University of Phoenix and Pacific Oaks University.
Pall Naccachian, the third candidate running for the Board of Trustees, did not respond to email and phone requests for an interview.
All three candidates went into this election with many big goals in mind.
Alexander went in with the top three priorities of “creating an easily accessible bridge for students to pursue college, certificated and technical careers, increase post high school options for students of all
ages, and to expand early college participation to help reduce costs for working families,” which are listed on her website .
Naccachain went in with the goals of “collaborating with faculty, staff, and the board to ensure all policies are legal, appropriate, and fair, to ensure fiscal responsibility and sound business practices in managing your tax dollars in implementing the Educational and Facilities Master Plan, and to improve student learning environment through communication, and mentorship resources,” which are listed on Votersedge.org.
Murray ran with the top three goals of “ensuring student educational options for a post-pandemic education for in person, hybridity, and asynchronous options, providing security and sustainability for ethnically and gender diverse faculty members and students, and exploring and establishing student retention in a community college educational pathway,” according to Votersedge.org.
