Viking News spoke with candidates for the open seat on the LBCC District 4 Board of Trustees. All candidates were given the same questions, with one individual question based on observations of each campaign. Additionally, each candidate was asked to provide a reference for a quote from someone whom they have worked with before.
Below is an excerpt of a conversation with candidate Herlinda Chico.
Can you tell me a little a bit about yourself, and your background?
I’m a product of the community college system. I was born to teenage parents who wanted me to go to college, but didn’t have a plan or path for me to get to college.
I went to Rio Hondo College. That’s where I developed my interest in public speaking and debate, and where I earned my Bachelor’s in Communications. I didn’t want to move so I decided to parlay my experience in communications with a job near me, that’s how I got into public relations.
I’m a third generation public service worker. Working for Supervisor Hahn, I have been able to expand my community involvement. I’ve been able to focus resources on communities that are in need.
I come from a working-class family that was part of unions. My father was a laborer and truck driver. I was a member of IAMAW [International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers], I was on the executive board of AFSCME [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees].
Labor unions fought and negotiated for the opportunities that I have. I think everybody deserves that. I think we need to make sure education is affordable and accessible to everybody
Age? 47
Why do you want to serve on the LBCC Board of Trustees?
I really believe that education can help break the cycle of poverty. We need to provide education for everyone, not just people who are just out of high school.
When I think of communities I have worked with, including young women who were trafficked, when we’re talking about marginalized communities dealing with trauma, it’s important we do the work of going to them and helping them. We need to make an effort to familiarize them with the campus. This includes former youth in foster care, people who have been incarcerated.
We will have to help people through this pandemic who will need new job training.
We need to help people get into a trade or apprenticeship. We need to expand our outreach.
What are your qualifications to serve on the Board?
I’ve worked for two decades in local government. I think that’s one of the things that qualifies me. I have the knowledge of administering a public sector institution. The college is not a business and should not be treated like business. I have experience in managing public funds.
We’re also at a critical time in our history, with demands for criminal justice reform, with COVID. We need to make sure all voices are heard. We can’t afford to get this wrong.
We have people who are counting on us to provide affordable and accessible institutions. Because of my connection to the community, I think I’m uniquely qualified.
What ideas do you have to improve the quality of education for students?
My priorities include expanding access to higher education. LBCC has done a really good job at providing resources. I want us to go out in the community and have a stronger understanding of where the need is.
I want to make sure that all students know about the opportunities available for them, an example is the students on Catalina, who are part of the Long Beach Unified School District. We need to make sure that these students know that they can go to college from high school through the Long Beach College Promise.
We need to make sure we reach out to marginalized students, who live on the island and looking into doing everything we can serve all the students there, including creating a satellite office and helping students ensure they can engage in distance learning.
I’m committed to protecting our vocational programs and trade programs. We have great relationships with businesses and labor organizations. I would like to make sure we continue building the partnerships we need in terms of making sure that industries get the workforce they’ll need.
My third priority is that I would like to re-evaluate the College Promise. Can we help students earn their A.A. faster? I think we need to look at the Long Beach College Promise through a racial equity lens.
What ideas do you have to ensure that faculty is given fair contracts? How do you plan on dealing with pay and benefit differences between full time and adjunct professors?
I’m committed to working families. This goes back to my background. I know the importance of fair wages. I’ve walked picket lines. I also know it’s really important that we get everybody to the table. At the end of the day, we need to be working together.
When it comes to all LBCC faculty, I will be there to support them. I am committed to making sure we have fair contracts for working families.
What qualities will you look for in a new LBCC President?
I’m looking for someone who is familiar with the city, who has a knowledge of the community and its diversity. Our new president should build consensus and possess a will to work with the Board and stakeholders.
Your job title on [Supervisor Janice] Hahn’s website is listed as “field deputy” which is different from “college advisor” as listed as your career on the ballot. A blog recently criticized this listing as being an inaccurate description, what is your response to this criticism?
The term “field deputy” isn’t a title that doesn’t accurately describe my duties. A lot of people think it sounds like I work with the police department. I used a term to describe one of the roles I perform by advising the supervisor on issues around education and labor. Our office has worked to set up a peer navigator program, which helps students connect to housing and educational resources available to students. This is something we started at LBCC and have done afterward at other colleges.
As part of my duties to the office I work comment, advise, and research policy to support local institutions. For example, I have sat on the LBCC Housing Panel, which looked into developing a partnership with the county to provide housing for students. We have also looked into creating programs at Cerritos College. I work to bring partnerships between our office and educational institutions.
More information about Chico’s campaign be found at www.herlindachico.com/.