Hollister
– Voters clearly chose to re-elect incumbent Trustee Kent Child
to the Gavilan Community College District Board of Trustees, but
the competition for the second open seat on the board was simply
too close to call by press time.
Hollister – Voters clearly chose to re-elect incumbent Trustee Kent Child to the Gavilan Community College District Board of Trustees, but the competition for the second open seat on the board was simply too close to call by press time.
Incumbent Elvira Robinson and challenger Dee Brown were within a few votes of each other with Brown in a slight lead by press time Tuesday, but that figure seemed to change each time the results were tallied. To make things more complicated, voters in both San Benito and Santa Clara counties were able to choose who would represent Hollister on the board – and despite her high standing locally, Brown was dead last in Santa Clara, making the race impossible to call.
Child was ebullient about the results Tuesday night, which also happened to be his wedding anniversary, and glad to see fellow incumbent Robinson was also doing well.
“I’m very pleased of course that the elections are going the way I’d hoped they would,” he said. “The whole process has been very rewarding and I’m grateful that the voters have supported me.”
Though Child ran as an incumbent this year, this was also his first time campaigning for office – the board appointed him last year to fulfill another Trustee’s term. Child banked on his 30-plus years as a student, teacher and administrator at Gavilan to win this race. Child has said his priorities if re-elected included ensuring the district’s continued financial stability and broadening options for senior citizens looking for personal enrichment, particularly as the baby boomer generation prepares to retire.
He added that the campaign trail had been a valuable learning experience.
“I’ve updated and refreshed my perspectives on what the community is concerned about,” he said. “As an elected representative it is crucial to get out there and talk to people – it’s an old-fashioned grassroots process and fortunately I’m blessed to live in a community where I can do that. … This has re-established my love for this county and my genuine sense of honor in being able to represent the community.”
Three challengers stepped forward this year to compete for the board seats of Hollister’s two Trustees: Angie De La Cruz, Reba Jones and Dee Brown.
All three challengers attributed their decision to run in part to Gavilan’s plans to establish a satellite campus in San Benito County that will one day expand into a full-service campus. In January, Trustees voted to purchase an 85-acre parcel of land off San Felipe Road and adjacent to the Hollister Airport, but the site was unpopular with many residents.
Though the land may have been flat and cheap, many feared the location would induce sprawl, rule out the possibility of collaboration between the college and city and county agencies, and prove to have hidden costs should classrooms need to be sound-proofed against airplanes taking off and landing. Since then the college has been searching for alternative sites that could be more popular with local residents.
Jones has taught college-level science at universities throughout the nation, and put an emphasis on her experience working with institutions of higher learning during her campaign. She also stressed the importance of helping bring Gavilan to San Benito County and focusing on the financial stability of the school.
Brown currently serves as a trustee for the Hollister School District. Last spring she mounted an unsuccessful campaign for the position of San Benito County superintendent of schools, then announced over the summer that she would not seek another term with HSD, setting her sights instead on Gavilan. Brown herself has taught at the college level and her son is a Gavilan graduate, as well. She named issues such as maintaining a good relationship between the college and its employees and strengthening Gavilan’s vocational education programs as particularly important to her.
De La Cruz, who is married to San Benito County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz, has said her decision to run was prompted by the fact that her son will be attending Gavilan next year and she wanted to be further involved with the community. She said her priorities included not only bringing the Gavilan campus to Hollister, but ensuring that Measure E funds are spent fairly on projects that benefit San Benito County voters.
Robinson, the second incumbent, was campaigning for her fifth term in office. She emphasized her 16 years on the board, coupled with an extensive legal background, to curry the voters’ favor. She said her priorities included moving forward with Measure E-funded projects and representing the Latino community at Gavilan.
“I voted for Robinson because I know she’s been working hard,” voter Oscar Gonzalez said.
“I voted for Kent Child and Dee Brown, because she’s an educator also,” said another local voter, Rose Ortiz. “I think (Child) is very intelligent; he knows what’s going on and he stays on top of things and I appreciate that.”
Deb Smith of Gilroy and Laura Perry of Morgan Hill ran unopposed to keep their seats. Perry has been on the board for 14 years and says her involvement was inspired in part by her education at Santa Clara University, which placed importance on community service and leadership. Smith, who described herself as “passionate” about Gavilan College, will be beginning her third term at Gavilan. She has said that she looks forward to overseeing campus improvements and expanding Gavilan’s programs for senior citizens.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
