Meet Our Board Members!
The San José/Evergreen Community College District is governed by a seven-member board of trustees. These trustees represent a population of over 918,800 people. Current Governing Board members are:
Mr. Ron Lind has represented Trustee Area 1 since January of 2001.
Mr. Balbir Dhillon has represented Trustee Area 2 since December of 2006.
Mr. Richard K. Tanaka has represented Trustee Area 3 since January of 1993.
Ms. Maria Fuentes has represented Trustee Area 4 since February of 1991.
Mr. Randy Okamura has represented Trustee Area 5 since January of 2005.
Mr. Richard Hobbs has represented Trustee Area 6 since January of 1995.
Ms. Mayra Cruz has represented Trustee Area 7 since March of 2009.
Ms Autumn Gutierrez, Student Trustee.
Mr. Mike Rendler, Student Trustee
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Ronald J. Lind
By day, Ron Lind is president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 428, Silicon Valley's largest private sector union for which he has worked since 1979. He also serves on the executive committee of the South Bay Labor Council. In his free time, he serves as president of the San José/Evergreen Community College District Governing Board. Lind represents the Milpitas and Berryessa areas of the college district. “It has been my goal to improve our presence in these areas,” says Lind.
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Balbir Dhillon
Trustee Balbir Dhillon assumed his duties on the San José/Evergreen Community College Board of Trustees in December 2006, representing Area 2 in East San José. Although this is his first time in elected office, he is no stranger to community volunteerism, serving as Vice President of the San José Gurdwara on the corner of Quimby and Murillo Avenue, and also on San José ’s Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Board.
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Richard Tanaka
Richard Tanaka has been a member of the San José/Evergreen Community College District Board of Trustees since 1992. He has previously served the education community as a member of the East Side Union High School Board of Trustees for 21 years, and is a long-time community activist.
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During his 13 years on the SJECCD Board, Tanaka has seen many changes at both colleges and within the District itself. “We are in the process of updating our educational programs at San José City College and Evergreen Valley College so that they will have greater relevance for our students. This is the reason of the complete transformation and master plan for San José City College, as well as the completion of facilities at Evergreen Valley College.”
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Maria Fuentes
“I believe public education in California is one of the greatest avenues for personal independence, achievement and fulfillment; and I think it should be equally available to all California residents,” says Ms. Fuentes who is serving her fourth term as Community College Trustee. This position enables her to pursue her passion for students’ right for a quality education that can help them achieve their life’s goals and personal dreams. As a policy maker and carrier of the public trust, Maria Fuentes is known for approaching her responsibilities with deep caring, compassion and concern for the constituencies she serves.
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Randy Okamura
San José/Evergreen Community College District Board of Trustees President Randy Okamura brings experience in public policy development and implementation to the Board—important knowledge, skills, and talent honed during his 20-plus year career specializing in business and organizational development and finance administration. For nearly 12 years, Randy has provided his expertise to his current employer AT&T, and has worked hand-in-hand with government officials, including playing a role in AT&T’s implementation of 1996’s Telecommunications Act. He is also an integral part of AT&T’s community outreach team, and in this capacity, has worked with numerous elected and appointed public officials and their staffs, from local levels of government all the way to the White House.
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Richard Hobbs, Esq
A long-time champion of human, civil and immigrant rights, Richard Hobbs, Esq., possesses a deep compassion for the underserved, underrepresented and marginalized persons and communities. He began his service to the underprivileged as a Peace Corps volunteer in Afghanistan and Ecuador in the early 1970s, and has continued this service into the 21st century. From 1996 to January 2005 he served as Director of Citizenship and Immigrant Programs for Santa Clara County, taking the lead in developing what is known nationally as the “Santa Clara Model of Immigrant Integration,” which included the naturalization of 100,000 low-income immigrants.
Mayra E. Cruz
Mayra Cruz assumed her duties in March 2009 when the board appointed her to fill a vacancy. She is the Founder and Director of the Institute of Community and Civic Engagement (ICCE) at De Anza College. With more than 25 years of program and community development experience, she has dedicated her professional career to linking educational systems to community based efforts at the early childhood, elementary, and college levels. "As a trustee, I am committed to effective leadership and strategic directions. My role will be to tackle, along with my fellow trustees, student access, retention, and student equity at a level that impacts a broad base and influences policy within sound fiscal practices," says Ms. Cruz.