B. Robert Burdo
Burdo runs against challenger Jordan Burns for West County. He has served in key positions like president of the Board and chairman of the facilities committee. Throughout his tenure, he’s provided educational opportunities to countless students by keeping SRJC affordable and accessible.
He believes the Board is responsible for what happens at SRJC, stressing the facilities and investment of bond money in buildings.
Burdo believes the skills he’s gained from experience are his greatest strengths that cannot be replaced. He points out how soundly the 2002 Measure A bond money was spent.
He stresses the importance of officers carrying firearms on campus and believes that officers with training and the best equipment are key to student safety. He also focuses on emergency planning and procedures to protect students in case of earthquakes and other disasters.
Burdo’s goal is to raise public awareness of the college, especially to high school students. He wants to spend more time showing the campus as a viable option.
Jordan Burns
Jordan Burns runs against incumbent Robert Burdo for West County. He graduated from SRJC as valedictorian after serving on several different committees, including the Board as a student trustee. He is the funding executive director of Children’s Humanitarian International, which provides education for children.
Burns questions why certain changes to SRJC, such as more environmentally friendly buildings on campus, have not been implemented. He’s also concerned about student safety on campus and is in favor of protecting students by providing more well-lit areas and officers who escort students taking late-night classes to their cars.
He also criticizes the current board’s attitude toward student trustees and claims that board members don’t care about the student trustee position itself.
Burns believes that a trustee’s duty is to listen to constituents, engage everyone in the college community and attend events. He aims to make sure the public is heard “loud and clear.” A self-proclaimed advocate for students, Burns promises he’ll always be easily accessible, open to hearing issues and willing to consider what students would like to see on their campus.
Don Zumwalt
Zumwalt runs against challenger Dorothy Battenfeld for Santa Rosa Area 3/4/5. He is an SRJC graduate and a Sonoma County resident of 60 years. Previously as board president, he was active in the facilities scholarship and personnel hiring committees.
As he led efforts to revitalize both the Santa Rosa and Petaluma campuses, Zumwalt was instrumental in opening the new culinary center, library and parking pavilion.
Zumwalt led stability initiatives and supported efforts to conserve water by introducing artificial turf on athletic fields. He currently works with SRJC to install electric vehicle charging stations and install solar panels on the parking pavilion.
He thinks a trustee’s responsibilities include hiring the president and listening to the community and constituents. The Board handles the budget, but does not micromanage the school.
The most affordable way to give financial assistance to low-income students, he says, is to encourage more companies and individuals to invest in the college.
Zumwalt supports redistricting trustee Area 3/4/5.
Dorothy Battenfeld
Battenfeld runs against incumbent Don Zumwalt for Santa Rosa Area 3/4/5. She teaches at Montgomery High School, where she coordinates the school’s international laureate program that she co-founded in 1995. Her four children have all attended SRJC. Her lifelong passion is to provide education for all students.
Her goals for SRJC include expanding and improving career programs and strengthening community, school and business partnerships with sustainable, economic solutions.
Battenfeld believes the Board needs to look at the SRJC Foundation and make sure the money gets to the low-income students who need financial assistance. She also says open sourced textbooks may reduce education’s costs.
She also wants transparency and accountability. Battenfeld thinks trustees should take responsibility in fiscal and policy terms, serve all areas of the community, and listen to students, faculty and staff.
To make an inclusive and safe campus, Battenfeld explained it’s important that officers are trained in cultural competency to work with different students and that the college should address all harassment complaints seriously.
Kathleen Doyle
Doyle runs against challenger Maggie Fishman for South County. A certified public accountant, she served as Petaluma representative on the Board for over 11 years and resigned in 2005. Doyle returns this year with a platform of experience. With her years on the Board and accounting expertise, she believes she possesses the skills to be an effective trustee once again.
Her motivation for serving as a trustee is love for the students and the college. According to Doyle, students are the Board’s responsibility, and her priorities are fostering student success and maintaining what SRJC has to offer. Doyle defends the current board against claims that trustees don’t care about the students, saying trustees devote time, energy and personal resources only because they care.
Doyle takes a strong stance on student safety; she says people who harass others do not belong at SRJC. She stresses that people should look out for each other and report incidents of fear and intimidation. She also advises people to make safe choices, like ensuring they’re not alone in the dark.
Maggie Fishman
Fishman runs against incumbent Kathleen Doyle for South County. Fishman graduated from Santa Rosa Junior College in 1971. She has worked for the California Legislature, the University of Southern California’s School of Public Administration and Montgomery High School as a government and economics teacher.
She acknowledges that the recession eliminated sections, doubled tuition, reduced enrollment and reduced programs. To give financial assistance to low-income students, Fishman prefers creating internships and partnerships with the community.
Fishman wants new blood on the Board of Trustees to accommodate change. She says the Board’s role is oversight, not classroom management. A trustee’s responsibility, she says, is to serve SRJC and the local community by being responsive and helping students succeed.
