SANTA ANA : Founding College Trustee Resigns

John Dowden, a 20-year member of the Rancho Santiago College Board of Trustees, announced this week that he will step down from the board on Dec. 31.

Dowden’s announcement, which comes less than two months after the resignation of another founding board member, Rodolfo Montejano, will leave Carol Enos as the only remaining original member of a board once dominated by longtime incumbents.

“John’s leaving will be a big loss for the board,” said board President Shirley Ralston. “We’re going into a new era, but the founding members of the board really set a clear vision and direction for the district well into the year 2000.”

Dowden, 57, said his resignation from the seven-member board will coincide with his retirement from Cerritos College, where he has been an English instructor since 1961.

“I was planning to retire at the end of my term and not run for reelection, but my district offers early retirement and I wanted to retire concurrently,” Dowden said. “You might say I wanted to get a life. I’ve had 30 years as a community college teacher and 20 years as a community college trustee, and I think it’s time to find a new direction.”

In addition to the resignations of Dowden and Montejano, Chancellor Robert D. Jensen left the district in June to become chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District. His replacement, Vivian Blevins, takes over as chancellor Nov. 4.

“It’s been a rough year,” Ralston said. “Everything that could happen, did happen.”

Dowden is a 1953 graduate of Rancho Santiago College (then Santa Ana College), and earned a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism in 1957 and a master’s in English in 1958 from San Jose State University. A resident of Orange, he represented Orange, Villa Park and portions of Anaheim Hills on the board.

Dowden’s announcement Monday came at the same meeting at which the board’s newest trustee, John M. Raya, was sworn into office. Raya was appointed by the board to serve the rest of Montejano’s term, which expires in November, 1992.

At its Oct. 28 meeting, the board will discuss whether to appoint Dowden’s replacement or hold a special election. Ralston said the board probably will appoint the new member under the same procedure used to replace Montejano.