Four candidates have entered the race for the Ward 1 and Ward 2 seats on the College of the Sequoias’ Board of Trustees. Ward 1 candidates are incumbent Bob Aguilar and challenger Louis Lyons. Ward 2 candidates are incumbent Ken Nunes and challenger Kristina Roper.

On Nov. 3, Visalia, Tulare and Three Rivers voters will decide who represents them on the five-member College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees. The election arrives as College of the Sequoias marks its 100th year with a $50 million University Center under construction.

Meet COS Ward 1 Candidates

Incumbent, Bob Aguilar, was appointed to Ward 1 after Greg Sherman vacated his seat in March 2026. Although Aguilar has only been on the board for six months, he has nearly two decades of experience in education and more than 30 years of legal experience.

Aguilar is a COS and UCLA alumnus. He received a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and has served as an elementary teacher, high school teacher, assistant principal and principal within the Visalia Unified School District. He has served on various boards, including the Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation, Ag Advisory Board, Redwood Law and Justice Academy Board and the COS Giant Foundation. Aguilar has also served as a basketball coach for Mt. Whitney High School. He emphasized the influence his late father, Robert Aguilar, has had on him and the resulting three generations of educators in his family.

“It was tied to what we learned as a family through my father and serving, particularly in the educational arena,” Aguilar said. “My daughter’s an educator… This is kind of what we say as Aguilars: this is what we do.”

Louis Lyons is the challenger for Ward 1. Like Aguilar, he is running for the board for the first time. He is a Redwood High School and Fresno State alumnus. He received his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law and then returned to Visalia, where he has spent the last 15 years at his family’s law practice with a focus on bankruptcy and family law. He is currently the president of his son’s elementary school Parent-Teacher Association, a chairperson for the school’s School Site Council and the board secretary for the Central California Bankruptcy Association.

“College of the Sequoias is the crown jewel of our community, where so many of my friends and neighbors have gone to receive their advanced degrees, vocational training and professional development, and I want to make sure it remains a quality institution of higher education that is affordable for our students,” Lyons wrote.

Ward 1: Why Are They Running?

As a COS alumnus, Aguilar credits COS with jump-starting his postsecondary education. He is a strong believer that education creates opportunities to build a stronger future. He is running to continue his family’s legacy of service and sees the election as an opportunity to “get back in the game” after retiring from education in June 2024.

“I am running for the Ward 1 seat because I believe furthering your education creates more opportunities to build a stronger future. I am a firm believer in public education as I am proof of what it can do for a successful career,” Aguilar wrote.

Lyons, although not a COS alumnus, considers himself a proud product of the Visalia education system. As an attorney, he acts in a fiduciary capacity, safeguarding his clients’ property. He said he would do the same for taxpayers at COS. Lyons is running to give back to his community and preserve the institution as Visalia’s “crown jewel” through three core beliefs.

“(1) the public and students need to know their voices are being heard by the Board; (2) making sure students’ needs are being met, from greater parking availability, to childcare availability to class availability; (3) making sure that all employees are respected and listened to,” Lyons wrote.

Ward 1: Undocumented Students and Flock Cameras

With ICE recently launching a California immigration crackdown, and the presence of ICE being reported in Fresno, including an ICE agent assaulting residents, questions and concerns have been raised about the safety of undocumented students. Some COS faculty have even taken the initiative of helping undocumented students make it to their classes every morning by facilitating a carpooling system. Ward 1 candidates were asked how they would support undocumented students if elected this November.

Aguilar prioritized student safety in his answer, but added the caveat that the institution must remain in compliance with the law. He referenced an incident that occurred at a courthouse while he was working as a defense attorney. According to Aguilar, an ICE agent detained one of his clients while Aguilar was in the middle of speaking with him about his case. Aguilar explained he could not get involved, because he could be arrested for interfering with an officer’s duties.

“So there’s a fine line that you have to be mindful of in how you approach this very delicate, very sensitive issue,” he said.

Lyons’ response on the topic of undocumented students leaned more into the issue of surveillance and affording all students what he called “equal dignity.”

“I just want all students to feel that they are welcome at COS and that they’re not about to be excised from society,” he explained.

While on the topic of surveillance, Lyons made it clear that he is not a fan of the automated license plate readers on the COS campus. His main concern is that COS campus officers are not the only ones with access to the data collected by private companies like Flock.

“This is information that is available to other parties unknown, which is a concern to me, because we don’t just have adult employees and students. We have minors on our campus who are being observed by these cameras, to whom third parties have incredible degrees of access,” Lyons explained.

It’s worth noting that Lyons is not anti-security. He acknowledges the utility of technology as a layer of security.

“I understand that these cameras are incredible tools in the hands of our good law enforcement officers at COS, but I see little reason why we could not simply depend on old-fashioned CCTV cameras instead, that are monitored by our bonded peace officers who are able to respond to criminal activity on the campus,” he said.

Asked about his stance on the Flock cameras on campus, Aguilar deferred to the law and questioned whether there is an expectation of privacy in a public space. For context, the current Flock cameras on campus are aimed at the college’s public parking lots.

“I don’t think there is an expectation of privacy in a public parking lot,” Aguilar said.

Aguilar added that privacy concerns on campus need to be listed and weighed against the law before a decision is made.

“And then it lands where it lands,” he continued. “Is everyone going to be in agreement? Probably not, right?”

Ward 1: Health Care for Part-Time Faculty

Ward 1 candidates differed on whether COS should participate in a state program that reimburses districts for the cost of part-time faculty health insurance.

Aguilar held some reservations when it came to part-time employees getting full-time benefits. He cited his own experience as a business owner and emphasized the cost of providing health care. However, Aguilar said he was open to learning more about the program before taking a stance on the issue.

“As a business owner it was difficult to offer it because of the cost and expense tied to it,” Aguilar said. “…For me I want to know more about the state program and the costs and benefits of that program. So for me to say no or yes, I don’t think it’s fair until I learn more.”

Lyons didn’t share Aguilar’s hesitancy and made his stance clear.

“I think as long as this program exists, I would seek to provide health insurance for our part-time faculty members,” he said.

Lyons believes providing health care to part-time faculty would ensure that COS remains competitive with other institutions that participate in the program. He explained that some part-time faculty may face the decision of staying at COS without health insurance or applying for a position at another institution that provides it. Ultimately, Lyons believes health care is a basic need that must be met by the college.

“Their basic needs, I believe, have to be met. The most basic needs, obviously, being their families’ health care,” he said.

Ward 1: COS Childcare Center and Other Facilities

The possibility of returning on-site childcare to COS has been a topic of discussion among students, faculty and leadership. Both candidates acknowledged that childcare is a legitimate concern for student parents.

Aguilar said he is aware that a childcare center existed at one point at COS, and that his understanding was that it was discontinued and replaced by other forms of childcare support because that was more of an “economic match” with student demand at the time. With that being said, Aguilar said he is open to the process and that it needs to be an informed decision that balances the college’s finances with student demand.

“If the college can meet that demand in some way, then you obviously want to do it,” Aguilar said. “But then you also have to look at it from the perspective of — there’s only so much financing a college has. And so you have to balance and reconcile the demand versus what you have in the funding source to reach the best outcome.”

Lyons’ response also referenced the college’s previous on-site childcare, but his understanding of why the center closed differed from Aguilar’s. According to Lyons, the childcare center was closed due to a mold issue.

The Voice confirmed Lyons’ claim that the COS childcare center was indeed closed because of a mold issue. In fact, a 2011 ABC7 article has Brent Calvin, now COS superintendent/president, on record stating the college did not have the money to get rid of the mold in the daycare. The same article reported that COS had a $2 million deficit at the time, suggesting Aguilar was partially correct about finances playing a role in the permanent closure.

Lyons said COS should look at bringing back the childcare center to help relieve both students and faculty of the cost of childcare, a cost he says has “exploded” over the past decade.

“A lot of young parents do not have access to childcare, and/or if they do, it’s particularly inconvenient. And one of the great things that COS used to provide was an on-campus child development facility where students could drop off their children, attend classes, and then just come and pick them up after they were done. And it was also utilized by faculty members as well,” he said.

A new childcare facility isn’t the only construction Lyons believes should be considered. He also said the college should consider adding a multilevel parking structure to address parking congestion at the Visalia campus. He added that once the new University Center is complete, parking congestion will only get worse.

Meet the COS Ward 2 Candidates

Ken Nunes is the incumbent for the Ward 2 race. He was first elected in 2010 and is seeking his fifth term on the COS Board of Trustees. He has served on the COS Giant Foundation and, with Gerald Benton, former superintendent of Tulare Joint Union High School District, co-chaired the Measure J campaign that funded the Tulare center. Nunes, a certified public accountant, has worked at the same accounting firm since 1974. He brings that financial expertise to a board that, since the recession, has rebuilt the college’s reserves, retired debt, broken ground on multiple construction projects and kept salaries competitive.

“I’ve been around COS for a long time, and I have a passion for it. I’m not just a one-issue person. I see the whole picture,” Nunes said.

Kristina Roper is the challenger for the Ward 2 race. She’s an archaeologist with an anthropology degree from UC Berkeley and a cultural resource management master’s from Sonoma State. She worked for the National Park Service at Yosemite and at Sequoia and Kings Canyon, then went into private practice. From 1995 she taught at Fresno State, Fresno City College, Cabrillo College and, for one semester, a COS class broadcast at Fresno State. She eventually taught full time at Fresno State, where she was an early online instructor, and ran a field school for her last 10 years before retiring in the spring of 2026.

“Stewardship means leaving something better than how you found it. And that’s how I live my life,” Roper said.

Ward 2: Why Are They Running?

For Nunes, running for the Ward 2 seat means finishing a project he helped start: the new $50 million University Center under construction at COS. Nunes was on the board when President Brent Calvin first proposed the plan to the trustees. He believes giving local students the chance to earn a four-year degree from Fresno State without leaving the area is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he wants to see come to fruition.

“This project is dear to my heart… I’d like to kind of see that come to fruition. That’s kind of my goal,” Nunes explained.

Roper is running on building up COS’s existing trade and certificate programs. From her own teaching experience, she has learned that students’ goals do not always align with a four-year degree. She wants to use her connections with the state and national parks to start a relationship where students can have an entry into employment after completing their programs. She also intends to bring her academic experience to the board. According to Roper, the COS Board of Trustees has never had an academic among its members, with the possible exception of Aguilar.

“They’ve never had an academic on their board,” Roper said. “And I find that perplexing.”

Ward 2: Childcare and Flock Cameras

The Ward 2 candidates were split on the possibility of bringing back an on-site childcare center at COS.

Roper was clear that she would bring back a childcare center. She rejected the idea of simply handing student parents funds and leaving them to figure out childcare on their own.

“I would bring back the childcare center,” Roper said. “We have to have a formal childcare center… for families, people who work, they need that service because it hinders their ability to take classes and to grow.”

Nunes, on the other hand, believes the options currently available to student parents may serve them better than a center on campus. He pointed to a presentation given by COS financial aid staff at the board’s Oct. 12 meeting on childcare options, including Pell grants, work-study and CalWORKs. According to Nunes, the college’s previous childcare center went away “for various reasons, one of which was facility-related.”

“What we found out was that some of these options may be much better than doing childcare on campus,” Nunes said.

Nunes used the example of a student commuting from Farmersville. He explained that a center’s hours may not line up with a student’s schedule, and that care closer to home can be more practical for families.

“It’s much more meaningful if funds are available for that student to have the child being cared for in their local community, where a parent or a grandparent can pick up the child,” he said. “It’s a hot button issue that some folks are raising, but… you have to know what is currently available.”

The candidates were further apart on the Flock cameras on campus. Roper wants them gone.

“I want to see that contract canceled and the Flock cameras removed,” Roper said. “Do we really need to be surveilled 24 hours a day, and that information is then sold?”

Roper also dismissed the argument that the cameras are a matter of campus safety.

“People who argue it’s a safety issue, I think that’s weak. It’s surveillance and it’s profit,” she said.

Unlike the Ward 1 candidates, Nunes did not take a position on the cameras. He said he was not familiar enough with the issue to speak on it, but that he values privacy.

“I’m not well informed on that and haven’t heard much consternation about it,” Nunes said. “I’m all in favor of privacy and not intruding on people’s rights, of course.”

Ward 2: COS Budget and Health Care for Part-Time Faculty

Nunes, a longtime CPA, believes COS’s budget is on the right track. He recalled the college’s financial struggles around 2010, when reserves were low.

“It was a struggle to meet payroll on a monthly basis because we just didn’t have the funds in place to kind of weather the storm,” Nunes said.

Since then, according to Nunes, COS has managed to run surpluses and set money aside for facilities. He gave the example of a new science building at the Hanford campus, a roughly $65 million project. The state approved the project, but COS had to provide 25% of the cost from its own funds to qualify.

“That’s what the budget has allowed us to do: to qualify for projects like that,” he said.

Roper said she still needs to learn more about the budget before proposing changes. She did, however, take issue with how the current board operates.

“I’m not a yes person, and it seems like the current board is very much an old boys club. They say yes to what Brent says,” Roper said. “Except for Connie.” Roper was referring to Ward 4 Trustee Connie Diaz

Like the Ward 1 candidates, the Ward 2 candidates differed on whether COS should participate in the state program that reimburses districts for part-time faculty health insurance.

For Roper, the answer was simple.

“Absolutely. The state is offering it,” she said.

Roper dismissed concerns about the state ending the program in the future. She believes the college should take advantage of the program while it exists.

“If that changes, then we address that then. But meanwhile, they’re paying for it and we’re denying our staff and faculty,” Roper said. “Health care is a human right. It really is.”

Nunes said he is open to the discussion, though he acknowledged that cost is a real factor. He noted that in the private sector, most companies do not offer health insurance to employees who work fewer than 20 hours a week. He also recognized that the public sector is different.

“It’s a dollar issue for sure,” Nunes said. “I’m certainly open to having those discussions… I certainly don’t rule it out.”

When asked about Roper’s argument that the benefit would simply end if the state funding ends, Nunes said the issue is not that black and white. According to Nunes, part-time faculty health insurance was discussed during the last round of contract negotiations. He said the parties could not agree on contract language about what would happen if the state stopped funding the program. He expects the issue to come up again during the next round of negotiations.

“The bridge that we couldn’t cross was that language in itself,” Nunes said, adding, “I could be totally wrong on that.”

Ward 2: Evaluating the COS President and Student Success

The board’s most direct power is over its only employee: the superintendent/president, Brent Calvin. Trustees hire, evaluate and can dismiss the president.

When asked how he would evaluate Calvin and measure his success, Nunes referred to his long history on the board and his experience with previous presidents like Stan Carrizosa. He credits Calvin with leading COS through the pandemic and reaching record enrollment at a time when most colleges were struggling to recover. He also highlighted Calvin’s push for a bond measure in the Visalia-area school facilities improvement district (SFID) to fund the University Center and a new student union, an idea Nunes admitted he thought was “crazy” when Calvin first proposed it.

“That’s, I think, how you measure the work that people do: the ability to lead and go out and get something done,” he said.

Roper’s response focused less on evaluating the president and more on gathering accurate student and faculty data on happiness and performance. She referenced Ward 5 incumbent John Lehn’s statements on the college’s student success rate and questioned how that data is gathered. She said the college never asks students who leave why they left, and that only the students who succeed get mentioned, which she says makes the success rate “not based in reality.”

“They’re not asking all the right people,” Roper explained. “And so we have to identify what’s wrong as well as what’s right, and build on what’s right and fix what’s wrong.”

Ward 2: Keeping Grads in the Valley

When asked how COS can encourage graduates and transfer students to stay in or return to the valley and give back to their community, the Ward 2 candidates had different approaches.

Nunes admitted that the share of COS students who transfer after earning an AA degree is not as high as at some other community colleges in the state, but he believes the University Center will have a positive impact on those numbers. According to Nunes, the opportunity to earn a four-year degree locally will help more students continue their education while staying in the valley.

“If they get their AA degree here, they walk across the street, get their bachelor’s degree,” he said.

Roper, on the other hand, believes COS should address the issue through diversification, by offering more training and programs that lead to well-paying local jobs. Drawing on her background as an anthropologist, she criticized the federal administration’s opposition to DEI and argued that just as species depend on genetic diversity to survive, COS needs to diversify beyond what it currently offers to not only survive a changing world, but thrive in it.

“This is a win-win. Keep people in the valley, keep the talent in the valley. They don’t have to go away to find a job, a career,” she said.

The post COS incumbents and challengers for Ward 1 and 2 face off appeared first on Valley Voice.

On Nov. 3, voters in Hanford will decide who represents them on the five-member College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees. The election arrives as College of the Sequoias marks its 100th year with a $50 million University Center under construction.

Lehn is running on what he says is a decade of record-high student success, robust finances, and new construction. He says he wants to continue to contribute to the progress the college has made over the last decade.

Nava says she entered the race because she believes the board is “out of touch” with the employees and students it serves. She claims Dr. Brent Calvin, College of the Sequoias’ Superintendent/President, said during a meeting that the board had moved away from fully funding employee health insurance so employees would “feel the pain” of rising premiums — one example she cites as a reason to run.

Ward 5 voters will choose between an eight-year trustee who says the college has never been stronger and a challenger who says students still can’t find child care or a bus to class.

Meet the COS Ward 5 Candidates

John Lehn is seeking a third term representing Ward 5 on the College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees. During that time he has served three years as board president and the remaining years as vice president, his current role.

Lehn spent about 42 years with Kings County’s job training office, most of them as its director, and for 25 of those years also served as president of the Kings County Economic Development Corporation, working to bring new businesses to the county and support existing ones. He is a former Hanford City Council member and mayor, and coached youth baseball and soccer for about 20 years.

“Fundamentally, I think experience matters,” he said.

Susie Nava is a first-time candidate and a COS alumna. Born into a military family, she moved to Hanford at two weeks old when her father was stationed at the Naval Air Station Lemoore. She settled in Kings County in 1997, raised her three children in Corcoran, and moved to Hanford in 2021.

She has worked in manufacturing, at a local school district, for First 5 programs in Corcoran and Kettleman City, and as a Kings County case manager. Since 2024 she has worked as a quality assurance specialist for Kings County Behavioral Health overseeing contract and regulatory compliance. She also sits on the board of the California League of City Employees Associations (CLOCEA), which represents Kings County employees.

Nava started at COS as a single mother and earned an associate degree, which she said is the foundation of her career. As a Latina, she said she hopes to show students from similar backgrounds what is possible.

“We need more people like us so our community members can look at us and say if they can do it, I can do it,” she said.

Why Are They Running?

Lehn is running on the college’s record during his tenure, citing what he called “all-time high” student success, stronger finances and a wave of new construction, including a $50 million University Center, a $40 million student union, a $70 million science building in design for the Hanford campus, a $10 million stadium, solar efficiency projects and classroom improvements.

“I am a candidate for re-election because I want to continue contributing to the College’s 100-year tradition of excellence and build upon the progress of the past decade,” Lehn wrote in response to questions from the Valley Voice.

Nava, on the other hand, is framing her candidacy around her own experience as a COS student, emphasizing her understanding of students’ backgrounds, barriers and needs.

“I am running to represent Hanford on the COS Board because I care deeply about ensuring that same opportunity exists for current and future students. Having sat in these same classrooms and faced many of the same challenges our students experience today, I bring not just insight, but empathy and gratitude for what COS provides,” Nava wrote.

Student Success and Gaps in Progress

Asked about potential gaps in student success at COS and how to measure progress, Lehn did not identify specific shortcomings, focusing instead on how progress should be tracked.

“The important measure is not simply whether a gap exists, but whether it is narrowing over time,” he wrote. “I would continue to measure progress through course completion, persistence…and other established student-success measures, with the results disaggregated so that improvements – or continuing gaps – are visible.”

His opponent Nava named transportation and child care as the main barriers to student success.

“On paper, COS is doing amazing…” Nava wrote. “However, I work in the community I am looking to represent, and I have spoken to students, community members, and professors who all have stories about students having to drop classes due to transportation and or childcare issues. It is unfortunate that the same struggles I faced when attending COS in the 1990s are the same barriers that exist today.”

Child care is a deeply personal issue for Nava, who was a single mother while attending COS in the 1990s. She said college leadership has recently discussed and dismissed the need for childcare.

“At the last board meeting, a remark was made by leadership that students don’t need COS to provide child care. That they have family and relatives that can help with that,” she recalled. “To me, as someone who works in the community, who lives in the community, that statement is so out of touch with our residents and the needs of the community.”

Lehn said COS already supports student parents through child care stipends funded by financial aid, county human services programs and state and federal grants, which he said can exceed the cost of care. He mentioned the college operated its own child care center at one point, but students who actually utilized the center were such a small population compared to enrolled students, that the funds were redirected to serve students in other ways.

With that being said, Lehn stated the district is now considering whether to bring a center back.

“We’re in the process of gathering information to evaluate whether or not it makes sense to reinstitute a child care center,” he said.

Competing for Hanford Students

COS isn’t the only community college option for Hanford residents. West Hills College Lemoore sits about 10 miles away, and the candidates were asked why some local students choose it over COS Hanford.

Lehn challenged the premise of the question. He said COS has been over its state-funded enrollment cap for years and remains significantly over it, meaning the college serves more students than the state pays for and keeps adding classes to meet demand.

“We’re serving way more students than the state is providing resources to serve,” Lehn said.

Rather than competing, he said, the two colleges give students more choices, particularly when classes at one college fill up.

“Kings County is blessed to have two community colleges and have options,” he said.

Nava on the other hand, said the Hanford center has been underdeveloped, offering only a limited number of programs on site.

“They have nine classrooms and three programs,” she said, adding that students outside of those programs must travel to other campuses to continue past their general education courses.

Transportation compounds the problem, she said. Nava described meeting a student on the first day of classes who was deciding whether to drop a course because she had borrowed a car to get to campus and wasn’t sure she could do it all semester. She said some students take Uber to early-morning classes because public transit doesn’t run that early, and that some classes end at 9 p.m., after transit stops running.

“People don’t choose Hanford COS because we don’t have the infrastructure to help them access the services, the classes there at their campus,” Nava said. “It doesn’t have to be this way. It shouldn’t be this way.”

Nava said that when she worked as a county case manager, most of her clients chose West Hills for its online classes, support services, and on-campus child care, though she noted that was in 2023 and things may have changed. She called for COS to offer full degrees online.

Health Care for Part-Time Faculty and Union Endorsements

One of the sharpest disagreements between the Ward 5 candidates came on health insurance for part-time faculty at COS. The state of California reimburses community college districts for up to the full cost of health insurance for qualifying part-time faculty, but COS does not participate in the program.

Nava said she supports joining the program and that, if elected, one of her first moves would be to call for a study session on the issue. She said the current board hasn’t looked at the issue and that leadership should be listening to all employees at COS, not just full-time faculty.

“If you have a whole classification of staff saying, ‘Hey, can you look into this?’ and then just closing it down, that’s not working with union leadership. That’s not working with your staff. And that’s not listening to them,” she said.

Lehn said district and union leaders have not reached an agreement on part-time faculty health insurance, but that the district is gathering more information so the board can take up the issue as a discussion item.

“The college made an offer to support the health care for part-time faculty under certain circumstances and the unions didn’t agree to it,” Lehn said.

He said health insurance for part-time workers is uncommon, noting that most industries offer such benefits only to full-time employees. He also warned that the cost could be substantial if the state ends the program and leaves COS to cover it.

“We’re not convinced that the state will, based upon their past record, continue to support that. It’s a significant cost that the district would have to absorb on its own,” Lehn said.

While Lehn cited uncertain state funding, Nava pointed to a different explanation.

During the interview, Nava read aloud the remark she attributed to Calvin, which she said was shared with her during her union endorsement interview.

“[The COS Board of Trustees] want the employee to feel the increase and ensure that they feel the pain of that increase, so they don’t take advantage of having insurance,” she claims Calvin said.

According to Nava, the remark followed negotiations over the district’s most recent insurance increase. In the past, she said, COS fully covered the most basic plan for classified employees.

Nava stated the remark is further evidence that current leadership is out of touch with the constituents it is supposed to serve.

“I’m very well aware when my insurance goes up,” Nava said. “If you pay for insurance, you’re aware. Nobody’s taking advantage of the insurance out here.”

The issue points to a broader question in the race: how each candidate would approach negotiations with the college’s unions.

Nava said she has been a strong union supporter since 2003, when she worked for a Corcoran manufacturer and saw the difference in pay and benefits between its union and non-union plants. She now sits on a union board of directors in Kings County and has been endorsed by six groups and unions, including all three at COS.

“What most unions ask for is to be heard,” she said. “They want a fair wage. They want to feel like they are valued and that they are an integral part of whatever organization that they are working in.”

During the interview, Lehn questioned whether some of the Valley Voice‘s questions came from the unions or his opponent’s supporters.

“It seemed to me the questions that you and I just went over were most likely generated by the union or those that are in support of my opponent,” he said.

The Valley Voice developed its questions internally and from community input, and asked both candidates parallel questions.

Overseeing the President

The board’s most direct power is over its only employee: the superintendent/president, Brent Calvin. Trustees hire, evaluate and can dismiss the president.

Lehn said the board evaluates Calvin on the college’s progress toward the goals in its strategic plan and master plan.

Asked to name a time the board pushed back on or overruled the president, Lehn did not cite one. He said most issues reach the board only after going through the college’s participatory governance process, and that reasonable people working from the same facts usually reach the same conclusions.

“That means that you are aligned, the president understands what the desires of the board are and brings items that are reasonable and consistent with the direction of the board,” Lehn said.

Nava, who has not worked with Calvin, said she has followed him through livestreamed board meetings and described him as likable, knowledgeable and vision-driven. If elected, she said she would start by reviewing the board’s evaluation forms to see what he is being measured on.

But she said comments from college leadership have at times seemed “so out of touch with our community,” and that she would push Calvin to spend more time with vulnerable communities and on campuses that haven’t seen him.

What About the Money?

On the college’s budget, the candidates largely agreed. Both said cuts should not be made for the sake of change and that leadership must remain careful stewards of public funds.

Lehn said employee compensation at COS ranks among the top five community college districts in California and that reserves are strong enough to weather economic downturns without layoffs.

“I support the current allocation of resources. As student needs, enrollment, state funding or economic conditions change, I will support adjustments based on demonstrated need and the priorities established through the college’s integrated planning process,” he wrote.

The post Candidates for COS Board of Trustees Ward 5 talk issues appeared first on Valley Voice.

“Pa’ashi (Tulare Lake) Past, Present and Future” is the subject of a five-session speaker series at College of the Sequoias lecture hall, 915. S. Mooney, beginning Thursday, Jan. 16 at 5:30 p.m.

The series, hosted by River Ridge Institute, features speakers who will present their knowledge and views of Tulare Lake (Pa’ashi in the Tachi Yokuts’ language). You’ll learn how the lake came to be over 10,000 years ago (once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River), the flood that brought it back to life in 2023, and opportunities we now face for the Tulare Lake basin.

This month’s speaker is Robert Hansen, retired COS biology and ecology teacher. After 55 years spent studying the ecosystems of Central California, Hansen enjoys every opportunity to share his passion about Tulare Lake and the Tulare Lake Basin when he leads field trips, teaches classes, writes articles and makes presentations about his favorite part of the world (what he likes to refer to by its historical name, the “Tulare Valley”.)

Before his COS career, Hansen served for nine years as biologist and wildlife preserve manager with The Nature Conservancy of California. During that time, he was land steward for seven major habitat types on nearly 5,000 acres of wildlife habitat at six wildlife preserves in the Tulare Lake Basin.

Other speakers in the series are:

Feb. 13 – Robert Jeff – Tachi Yokut Tribal vice chairman

Feb. 27 – Mark Arax – author of The King of California and The Dreamt Land

March 20 – Vivian Underhill – UC Santa Cruz ethnographer and feminist scholar

April 10 – Julie Rentner – River Partners president

Parking is free on campus for these lectures, Information: info@river-ridge.net

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“I am excited about the early support I have received so far across the district for my campaign to continue my passion for education and commitment to public service on the College of the Sequoias Board. As a college board trustee, I plan to support students who are seeking higher education opportunities with the resources they need to succeed and recognize and value the work of faculty and staff members who dedicate their careers to making a difference for them”, stated Diaz.

Connie was elected to serve on the Tulare City School Board in 2020, unseating a 24-year incumbent and re-elected in 2022.  As a city school board member, Connie has provided strong leadership in assuring teachers have the resources they need in the classroom, parents have an advocate on the board and led the effort to bring strong leadership in the superintendent’s office.

“I am proud of the work I have done on the Tulare City School District as a member of the board to bring important resources to students and their families.  I have worked to create more transparency, inclusiveness and trust in our children’s education.  I am proud of my effort to lead the effort to hire new leadership in the school district that will place a focus on student success.  I plan on bringing the same dedication and commitment to the College of the Sequoias board”, continued Diaz.

Diaz enters the race with a strong and growing list of supporters., including: Rudy Salas, Congressional District 22, Greg Ojeda, Council Member, City of Corcoran, Sid Palmerin, Council Member, City of Corcoran, Hipolito Cerros, Council Member, City of Lindsay, Rosaena Sanchez, Council Member, City of Lindsay, Dr. Perla Soria, Board Member, Lindsay Unified School District, Jevon Price, Board Member, Tulare Hospital District, Willard Epps, Board Member, Tulare City School District,  Jose Sigala, Council Member, City of Tulare, Dr. Randy Villegas, Board Member, Visalia Unified School District, Greg Gomez, Council Member, City of Farmersville. Her list also includes three of the campus labor organizations representing the classified staff, adjunct faculty and teachers at the College of the Sequoias.

Over the next few months, Connie will continue working hard to secure additional endorsements, which will include labor and community advocacy organizations, community and business leaders and additional elected officials.

“I appreciate the support I have received so far.  I look forward to running a strong campaign and meeting with voters door to door across the district.  I want to share my vision with as many of them as possible about the importance of providing a quality higher education to all students seeking to improve their lives”, concluded Diaz.

Connie Diaz has lived in Tulare County for over 30 years and attended local public schools graduating from Tulare Western High School.  She is also a graduate of the College of the Sequoias receiving her Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration.  She is the mother of three school aged children with one attending COS in the fall.

The College of the Sequoias Board Ward 4 includes the cities of Lindsay and Corcoran and portions of the City of Tulare as well as the unincorporated communities of Tipton, Pixley, Alpaugh, Allensworth, Waukena and Matheny Tract.  The election will take place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

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Located on the corners of Mooney Blvd. and Meadow Ave. in Visalia, the marketplace — previously a dance studio — underwent a remarkable three-year renovation, culminating in the creation of a small yet significant resource for COS students.

The mission behind The Giant Marketplace was clear and resounding: to alleviate the concern of students struggling to meet their basic needs and to provide a dignified location where they could access essential resources without feeling embarrassed.

During the inaugural ceremony, the COS President and Superintendent, Brent Calvin, spoke passionately about the profound importance of addressing students’ basic needs.

He painted a vivid picture of The Giant Marketplace as a place where Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, ranging from physiological and safety needs to social and esteem needs, were all catered for under one roof.

The Marketplace itself was designed with care to create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere. As visitors open the door, they are greeted by a soft chime, and soothing elevator music adds to the comforting ambiance.

Carolyn Franco, the Basic Needs Coordinator, enthusiastically referred to the Marketplace as “a one-stop shop for students’ basic needs.”

It goes beyond simply offering food; it encompasses clothing, mental health support, housing assistance, and access to financial aid services. The core belief driving this initiative is that by addressing these fundamental needs, students are better equipped to succeed academically.

A recent study from the Community College League of California shows that “two out of every three [California community college] students grapple with at least one basic need insecurity” and that “nearly half of [California community college] students are food insecure, almost 3 out of 5 are housing insecure, and about 1 in 4 are homeless.”

The benefits extend to all students, whether they are living paycheck to paycheck or simply in need of a bit of extra money to cover their educational essentials. At COS, some students are still in high school but are taking college classes, and the marketplace ensures they can focus on their studies without the burden of unmet basic needs.

The store’s offerings, while not extensive, are well curated to cover the essentials that ensure students feel energized and confident throughout their day. Fresh fruit, canned goods, cereal, and dairy products are among the food items available.

Moreover, the school’s commitment to its students goes even further, offering a generous 50% discount on food items within the cafeteria and food court next to the Kern building. This initiative has allowed students to feed themselves for less than $5 per day throughout the school week, making higher education more accessible to those who need it most.

The Giant Marketplace stands as a testament to the power of transformation and community support. With the backing of COS President Brent Calvin and the dedication of individuals like Carolyn Franco, the marketplace is more than a distribution center; it’s a symbol of hope, dignity, and the unwavering commitment to students’ well-being and academic success.

Registered students can contact the Giant Marketplace by telephone at 559-737-3710, by email at giantmarketplace@cos.edu, or by visiting the Giant Marketplace website at cos.edu/giantmarketplace

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Educational Support Services Building

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Tulare County Workforce Investment Board developed and convened the Tulare Kings Healthcare Partnership to address the nursing shortage. With the feedback from this employer collaborative, COS strategically worked to grow the RN program based on industry needs through a three-pronged approach over the last year: adding part-time, evening and weekend RN program; adding 40 new spots for students in the traditional program; adding 10 LVN to the RN students every fall and spring semester. COS has also developed an LVN to RN apprenticeship that will start in January 2024.

“The growth would not be possible without the cooperation with other agencies, their personnel and the fact that our faculty are terrific,” said Dr. Jonna Schengel, Dean of Nursing & Allied Health, CTE & Workforce Development at COS. “The COS RN Program has an excellent reputation and the hospitals want our students.”

Growing a registered nursing program creates new challenges for the college and clinical placement is a difficult piece of the puzzle, said Belen Kersten, Director of Nursing. Kersten, along with the Division Chair, Tina Toth and RN faculty diligently worked to secure additional clinical sites at Adventist Health Tulare, Adventist Health Hanford, Kaweah Health and Sierra View hospitals. These clinical placements were all additions to these sites and did not displace RN students from other programs, Kersten said.

Doubling a program’s capacity places strain on classroom availability. The Executive Director of California State University Fresno South Valley campus, Luz Gonzalez, graciously offered classrooms and office space to meet the growing workforce demand in healthcare. This also benefits CSU Fresno, as the college offers a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing option to the RN graduates in the area.

“COS is thankful to have strong partnerships not only with our local healthcare employers, but also with CSU Fresno; both provide multiple education and career options for our graduates within the industry,” said Schengel.

Grant monies from Nursing Growth and Strong Workforce have supported this growth with new faculty, a nursing counselor, outreach, student support and student success programs. Support is provided to pre-nursing students with Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) preparation workshops, while funding sessions for first-time test takers. The grants also support students with a state-of-the-art simulation lab and fully stocked skills labs for hands-on training. Through conferences, trainings and webinars, faculty are encouraged to gain training in the latest practices and technology within nursing through this funding.

COS welcomed all 110 new RN students to the Visalia campus this week to begin their journey into a high-wage, high-demand career within nursing, said Schengel.

For more information about the Registered Nursing program at COS, contact the Director of Nursing & Allied Health, Belen Kersten (559) 730-3794,mailto: belenk@cos.edu, COS.EDU/Nursing.

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Discussions became more serious during the pandemic, prompting a request to improve the track and field.

COS soccer and football events have historically been held at Riverway Sports Park or Mineral King Bowl. The need for a home stadium was evident as it would provide both sports teams a home field along with increasing inclusivity and community participation.

With the new stadium, graduation ceremonies could also be held on COS grounds.

According to Brent Davis, Dean of Physical Education/Athletic Director, there have been approximately 2000-2500 people showing up to the football and track events. The spectators would sit on temporary bleachers and lawn chairs. During the pandemic, discussions became more prevalent  A post from the COS Giants Football Twitter account says that the new seats could accommodate 2,800 while Davis said it can expand to fit approximately 3,750 fans.

Davis stressed a unique feature that makes the Sequoia Stadium stand out from others: the height and closeness to the track. The stadium seating will be located lower and closer to the track. Davis expressed how this would create an immersive experience for the audience, being closer to the action. This is due to the surrounding seating outlining the track and field.

According to the COS Visalia Track/Football Improvements Addendum there will be 1,200 seats East, 1,000 seats West, 800 seats North, and 500 seats on the South side. The main sacrifice that has been made is the removal of three tennis courts to accommodate some seating and additional construction.

Along with the Stadium a restroom, concession stand, and video board are being constructed. From the West and East ends of the field two pathways are being constructed offering easier access to the stadium and seating areas.

In the process there were a couple of setbacks. An updated EIR report had to be submitted and the heavy March rains delayed construction.

Back on track, Sequoia Stadium is set to be finished in early August.

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While they were still with us, the couple were funding $50,000 in COS scholarships annually to support students in the Nursing Program, the Physical Therapy Assistant Program, and other medical majors. They wished to help build skilled medical professionals locally as they were beginning to interact with so many themselves. They saw COS as a great partner in doing so. The trust’s executor saw sustaining these scholarships forever through a $1.25 million endowment aligned perfectly with the donors’ values.

Beyond these scholarships, the COS Foundation Director, Tim Foster and the trust executor spent some time aligning other needs of the college with what they knew to be the donors’ values. Through these discussions, the executor determined three more areas of support:

A $550,000 capital gift to expand and enhance the COS Nursing and Allied Health simulation lab. Providing quality, hands-on experience and debriefing of simulations is critical to the education of future medical professionals. Simulation became more critical during the  pandemic when nursing students could no longer obtain the hands-on experience and clinical hours required as medical facilities restricted access to non-essential workers. This gift will support the equipment purchases and building modifications needed to complete a three-phase sim lab upgrade master plan.

A $2 million investment in the COS Local Heroes Fund. The Local Heroes Fund collects and directs resources for scholarships and other investments in the recruitment, education, certification and hiring of “Local Heroes”, those in the education, medical, law enforcement and firefighting professions. This gift initiated a Local Heroes Endowment within the Local Heroes Fund to perpetually support scholarships and other investments in students seeking to become teachers locally. One such scholarship supports COS students that transfer to the Fresno State South Valley Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) offered on their Visalia Campus. In this program, participants already have an associate degree. Through ITEP, students earn their bachelor’s degree and teaching credential simultaneously within two years.  Both donors were local teachers for forty years. The executor knew these lifelong educators would have loved to support such a cause.

And finally, a $1.5 million investment in creating a Technology Endowment that will perpetually fund opportunities to put cutting-edge technology in the hands of students. The husband of this donor couple was very interested in science and technology. In honor of his desire to see students engage with technology, this funds COS programs that do just that. One such program is the COS Friday Night Lab, a weekly makerspace that engages students in various projects currently focused on virtual reality, mobile application development, 3D modeling, and many other design projects and competitions. The executor believed he would have really enjoyed participating in Friday Night Lab. Additional projects will be determined annually through the COS Foundation’s existing internal mini-grant program.

Remaining resources were short-term investments in some of these new areas as the endowments begin to generate investment income for sustained use.

“This couple are incredibly philanthropic. Their frugal lifestyle and generosity resulted in three endowments and several other transformative gifts that will bring positive changes in COS student lives forever. We are honored to be entrusted with stewarding such wealth from one family. Our students have much more need for such gifts, but these gifts are real game-changers for the COS Foundation and the college.”, said Tim Foster, the COS Foundation Director.

For more information about the College of the Sequoias and the COS Foundation online go to: COS.edu or call the COS Foundation at 559-730-3861.

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The COS Pharmacy Technician Advisory Board voted in 2018 to pursue the accreditation status from ASHP. Since 2018, Mitchell Andrews, Registered Pharmacist (RPh), Pharmacy Technician Program Director and Full-time Faculty, worked in collaboration with Dr. Jonna Schengel, Dean of Career Technical Education and Workforce Development, on programmatic changes that would meet and maintain the competencies required by ASHP.

Dr. Schengel explains that the new accreditation status allows the COS Pharmacy Technician Program to provide a higher level of curriculum for students who have completed introductory courses at the high school level. Schengel also emphasizes that the COS Health Science programs are leading the way in outside accreditations, providing graduates with opportunities to enter the workforce. Accredited programs, like Pharmacy Tech., require students to participate in clinical hours, where students work alongside potential employers. Pharmacy Technicians are critical to the current workforce and will continue to help with ongoing vaccinations to fight COVID-19.

ASHP was established in 1942 and serves as the accrediting agency in partnership with Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC) and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The mission of ASHP is to support pharmacists and help people achieve optimal health outcomes. ASHP helps its members achieve this mission by advocating and supporting the professional practice of pharmacists in hospitals, health systems, ambulatory care clinics, and other settings spanning the full spectrum of medication use. ASHP serves its members as their collective voice on issues related to medication use and public health (ASHP, 2021).

Mitchell Andrews, RPh, Pharmacy Technician Program Director explains that to meet the requirements of the ASHP accredited Certificate of Achievement, Entry-level Pharmacy Technician, students must complete 350 hours of didactic work, 210 hours of one-on-one simulation with an instructor and complete a 120-hour externship rotation in a local pharmacy. Andrews continues, completion ensures graduates receive an educational experience with curriculum covering all 15 ASHP Standards which establish competency measures
for: Personal/Interpersonal Knowledge and Skills, Foundational Professional Knowledge and Skills, Processing and Handling of Medications and Medication Orders, Patient Care, Quality and Safety Knowledge and Skills, and Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge and Skills.

Earning ASHP accreditation ensures our program meets increasingly rigorous industry standards and helps us maintain the level of consistently high quality, employable graduates that our industry partners have come to expect, Andrews explains. A certificate of completion from an ASHP accredited program also ensures our graduates are eligible to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) national certification exam. Passing an ASHP accredited training program and having national certification is a highly desirable combination and maximizes opportunities for our graduates in all pharmacy practice settings

College of the Sequoias would like to thank Pharmacy Technician Advisory Board for their support and vision for the program.

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