Upfront
Foothill-De Anza (continued from page 11)
job leading the district in recent years but is opening itself up to instability with two longtime incumbents stepping down this year. He believes even one problematic or weak board member can cause big problems, which he said happens all too often in other school districts in the area. If elected, Landsberger vowed to make the transition from high school into college as seamless as possible, and said it’s important to foster a close relationship with local high schools in order to eliminate or minimize any hurdles students face during the switch. In addition to offering the right classes and quality teachers, Landsberger said the district also has an obligation to provide stronger career counseling, financial aid, library services and tutoring — services he hopes to boost as a board member. Over the last two years, Landsberger has served as a member of the Foothill-De Anza Foundation, where he has worked to promote the district and raise funds for scholarships, stipends for internships, and vouchers for school supplies and textbooks. He says his work on the foundation has helped usher in new STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs and support services for low-income and minority students through the Extended Opportunity Program.
Orrin Mahoney Age: 71 Education: bachelor’s degree, industrial administration, Carnegie Mellon University; master’s degree, mechanical engineering, Stanford University City of residence: Cupertino Occupation: retired Website: mahoney4foothilldeanza.com Orrin Mahoney, a longtime resident and active volunteer in Cupertino, believes his combined decades of experience as a manager at Hewlett-Packard and as an elected official makes him a prime candidate for the FoothillDe Anza Board of Trustees. Mahoney, now retired, spent 35 years in managerial positions at HP, where he learned the “importance of solid strategic and financial planning,” he said. After retiring, he served on the planning commission and City Council in Cupertino, including two terms as mayor, in 2009 and 2013. Mahoney said strong fiscal management, aging infrastructure and the region’s high cost of living are the top three issues facing the community college district. He said the school district is in need of “other funding options,” including a possible parcel tax. When the district put a $69 parcel tax on the ballot in 2010, it failed to gain the two-thirds majority required to pass. He was critical of the current board’s approval of a $24 million renovation of De Anza’s Flint
Center for the Performing Arts parking garage, primarily driven by a need to upgrade the four-level garage for earthquake safety. The board had considered demolishing the aging garage and building a new one, but ultimately opted for the less expensive option of retrofitting. Proposals were also brought to the board for constructing a transit center to help address student and staff parking needs. While a “necessary project,” Mahoney said that “more time could have been spent on the future role of the Flint Center space and what an integrated plan would look like for the combined site.” And like most academic institutions in Silicon Valley, both K-12 and higher education, the Foothill-De Anza district must find ways to mitigate the impact of a rising cost of living on its ability to attract and retain highquality professors and staff, Mahoney said. If elected, Mahoney said he hopes to establish “stronger” relationships with the district’s feeder schools, city governments and high-tech companies to build meaningful partnerships, his campaign website states. He has been an active supporter of the community college district, particularly De Anza, for many years. He is a 14-year member of the De Anza Commission, which works to promote the community college within the community and to “engage in projects, activities and fundraising in support of educational excellence for students,” the commission’s website reads. He has served as the group’s co-chair for the last three years and for the past five years has led a major fundraising event for the community college, he said. The De Anza Commission has also advocated for partnerships with the City of Cupertino, he noted, and helped with the district’s last parcel tax campaign. For the past three years, Mahoney has worked on various fundraising activities through his role on the Foothill-De Anza Foundation Board. The foundation’s “key initiative” this year was on social equity, Mahoney noted, with a focus on programs that support low-income students, veterans, exposure to STEM and student engagement. Mahoney also served on two bond oversight committees for the Cupertino Union School District, where his four daughters attended school. In 2005, he was named Cupertino’s “citizen of the year.”
Eric Rosenthal Age: 55 Education: bachelor’s degree, chemistry with biology emphasis, San Jose State University City of residence: Los Altos Hills Occupation: sales Website: eric4trustee.com Eric Rosenthal spent 13 years observing the inner workings of
the Foothill-De Anza Community College District as a supervisor of Foothill College’s Student Success Center, now called Online Student Services. Rosenthal was one of the founders of the center in 2001, which offered a “one-stop shop” computer lab for students to get help applying for financial aid, enrolling in classes and other services, Rosenthal said. He said he also helped the district set up its database with CCCApply, the statewide online admission application center for California Community Colleges. In his time as a Foothill employee, Rosenthal said he “found many issues that needed to be addressed,” prompting him to run for a seat on the board. Cybersecurity is high on Rosenthal’s list of key issues. He is most critical of a 2014 board vote to create an additional database with students’ and employees’ log-in information — a database he believes is “easily shareable with little or no security.” If elected, he said he would push for an open-session discussion of the “merits or faults” of such a separate database. Also concerned about lax sharing of student data with external organizations, he wants to “stop unauthorized access to student accounts” and would “impose strict rules on when a student’s data can be used,” including requiring an opt-out option and a notification or permission system for students. Another top priority for Rosenthal is helping Foothill and De Anza increase enrollment. The colleges should work to promote themselves more online and also provide better support and guidance for interested students from admission through registration and attendance, he said. More collaboration between departments that currently operate like islands, Rosenthal said, could help better support students. The two colleges could also attract more students by giving their online courses, which are less expensive to mount than traditional courses, more visibility, Rosenthal said. “We can use our renowned locations in Silicon Valley to market nationally and internationally our online classes,” he said. Rosenthal also proposed replicating at Foothill and De Anza a program in place at other California community colleges that provides a tuition-free semester to qualifying local high school students. Long Beach Community College, for example, covers one semester for local students who enroll in the fall immediately after their high school graduation. A third issue is facilities upgrades and safety. As a board member, Rosenthal would work to closely monitor construction projects “to ensure the contractors adhere to their contract, finish on time, and produce a safe learning and working environment.” Among the six candidates, Rosenthal is the only one to have
raised less than the cap required to file a campaign finance statement. Rosenthal wrote in an email that he expects to receive “very little (in) donations.” Rosenthal also worked as a grant supervisor in Foothill’s Office of Economic Development and served on various committees, including on safety and hiring. As a longtime neighbor of the campus, the Los Altos Hills resident said he has volunteered in various activities over the years, including with Foothill Music Theatre.
Gilbert Wong Age: 49 Education: associate degree, business, West Valley Community College; bachelor’s degree, business administration, minor in Asian studies and political science, San Jose State University City of residence: Cupertino Occupation: Cupertino City Council member Website: gilbertswong.com Gilbert Wong, the first in an immigrant family to attend college, describes himself as a passionate “education advocate.” He graduated from Los Gatos
High School and went on to West Valley Community College, then San Jose State University. He later became an active community volunteer, from serving on his daughter’s school site council to the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors to the city’s planning commission. Wong was first elected to the Cupertino City Council in 2007 and again in 2011. In his second term, he became the first American-born Chinese resident to serve as mayor of Cupertino, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Wong sees the Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees as a natural next step in his public service, and he views equity and access as one of the top three issues facing the district. He’s concerned that declining state dollars and a tight budget means the district is “making tough choices to cut classes” that affect students’ abilities to graduate in two years, find the classes they need and repeat courses if necessary. As Cupertino mayor, he met quarterly with local school leadership — Cupertino’s school (continued on page 16)
Clarification
The Oct. 14 article on Measure A stated that San Jose Evergreen Community College District Measure G funds for rebuilding a vocational center were later “slated” for an arts/theater complex instead. That complex was not built, however; the money was spent on the vocational center. To request a correction, contact Editor Jocelyn Dong at 650-223-6514, jdong@paweekly.com or P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302.
CityView A round-up
of Palo Alto government action this week
City Council (Oct. 17)
Fire station: The council supported the temporary relocation of Fire Station 3 to 200 Geng Road. Yes: Berman, Burt, DuBois, Filseth, Holman, Kniss, Scharff, Schmid No: Wolbach Retail: The council directed staff to make provisions in the city’s new retailprotection ordinance to define what sorts of uses would be allowed on University Avenue, as well as on downtown’s more peripheral streets. Yes: Berman, Burt, Filseth, Holman, Kniss, Scharff, Schmid, Wolbach Absent: DuBois
Board of Education (Oct. 18)
Budget: The board discussed a series of proposed budget cuts for the 2017-18 year. Action: None GPAs: The board discussed a proposal to align grade reporting practices between Palo Alto and Gunn high schools, and to continue to only report unweighted grade point averages on official transcripts. Action: None
Council Finance Committee (Oct. 18)
Finances: The committee approved a reappropriation request for funds to be carried over from fiscal year 2016 to fiscal year 2017. Yes: Filseth, Schmid, Wolbach Absent: Holman Gas: The committee supported a recommendation from the Utilities Advisory Commission to pursue a carbon-neutral natural gas portfolio, with the rate impact of no greater than 10 cents per therm. Yes: Filseth, Wolbach No: Schmid Absent: Holman
Architectural Review Board (Oct. 20)
Avenidas: The board recommended approving a request by Avenidas to renovate and expand its facilities on 450 Bryant St. Yes: Gooyer, Kim, Lew Recused: Baltay, Furth 429 University: The board recommended upholding a citizen appeal and denying the latest design proposal for a mixed-use development at 429 University Ave. Yes: Gooyer, Kim, Lew Recused: Baltay, Furth
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 21, 2016 • Page 13