EDITORIAL - With the 2022 Mid-term Elections quickly approaching, the State Center Community College District Trustee for Area 1 is on the ballot. The voters must choose the candidate that will serve as the best trustee to represent Madera Community College; the only college in Area 1. Therefore, the voters are actually selecting Madera Community College’s representative on the State Center Community College Board of Trustees this November.
Bobby Khan, the incumbent, has served as the Area 1 trustee for the last eight years. During that time, the campus in Madera has experienced significant changes that are noteworthy and should be considered when voting: the campus enrollment has nearly doubled since 2015, the “Center” became the 116th Accredited College in the State of California (2020), the college added numerous programs to academic, trade, and certificate pathways for students, and added a second Academic Building to help accommodate growth. The last year of Bobby Khan’s current term has been highlighted by many of the college’s successes and the culmination of their hard work.
- The 2022 graduating class was the largest in school history
- number of transferring students to universities was the largest ever
- students earning certificates was also the largest ever
- 2022 Lumina Foundation Award (nationwide competition with colleges and universities)
- 2022 Equity Champion of Higher Education
Bobby’s career has been dedicated to the betterment of Madera. He owned a commercial real estate firm in Madera before he went to work for the Fresno Chamber of Commerce as the Business/Education Director. For the last twenty years, he has served as the executive director for the Madera County Economic Development Commission, bringing new businesses into Madera. In addition, for years, he umpired Babe Ruth Baseball around the valley and helped youth sports in Madera. He is from Madera, lives in Madera, and has a history of putting Madera first.
His opponent, less than a year ago, was planning to run for the SCCCD Board of Trustees in Area 5 (Tower District in Fresno) where she lives but was talked into changing those plans by the local unions and our Madera Mayor Santos Garcia to run against Bobby in Area 1; an area where she has no history of living. She has no history of community service nor stepping foot on the Madera College campus before this election. She is not from Madera and will not put the needs of the Madera Community College or its students first.
The evidence is undeniable. The Area 1 trustee represents Madera Community College. If the college is performing poorly, not meeting expectations, or not being given the support it needs, then an argument for change would be logical and necessary. However, if the college IS performing well, IS meeting and exceeding expectations, and IS getting the support it needs, then no changes are necessary.
Therefore, using the incredible successes of our Madera Community College as the most important source of evidence, the only logical, viable, or correct choice for Area 1 Trustee for State Center Community College District is BOBBY KHAN. Bobby is MADERA.
Big Valley News and Radio Endorse
Bobby Kahn
for SCCCD Board of Trustees Area 1
