Saddleback Community College District

Here are the candidates running for four seats on Saddleback Community College District Board of Trustees in the Nov. 3 election.

DISTRICT 1

Douglas M. Chapman

Age: 51

Occupation: Mechanical engineer.

Background: Has served on East Orange County Water District since 1983.

Priorities: Wants to increase spending on teachers and the classrooms; wants to reduce the size of the school administration and number of non-teaching positions; would like to increase the number of classes offered to students; supports pay increase for teachers.

Jim Palmer

Age: 28

Occupation: Co-owner of MPB Management Group, a television production and nonprofit fund-raising firm.

Background: Vice president of Orange County Rescue Mission, 1992; vice president of Irvine Education Foundation, 1984; co-chair of U.S Olympic Committee, 1983-85; vice president of Irvine Community YMCA, 1986; director of Irvine Harvest Festival, 1985.

Priorities: Wants to reduce administrative costs; wants to increase classes and redirect money toward basic courses needed to transfer to four-year colleges; wants to increase local corporate involvement with student career opportunities; supports pay increase for faculty.

Harriett S. Walther

Age: 59

Occupation: Incumbent; executive director of National Issues Forum of Orange County.

Background: Appointed to board in 1977, first elected in 1979; California Community College Trustee Assn. board member; past president of California Assn. of Community Colleges; member of State Chancellor Task Force of Staff Diversity, the League of Women Voters and the American Assn. of University Women; United Way volunteer.

Priorities: Advocates continued re-evaluation of enrollment policies and curricula to meet community needs; wants to improve the diversity of faculty, staff and students; advocates expanding the use of technology to reduce administrative costs; wants to ensure successful student transfers to universities.

DISTRICT 3

Shirley Gellatly

Age: 50

Occupation: Incumbent; community education director for battered women’s shelter.

Background: First elected to Board of Trustees in 1983.

Priorities: Wants to settle contract negotiations with faculty association and establish a ‘win-win’ negotiating procedure; wants to maintain budget process that allows for a prudent emergency reserve but keeps as much money in classrooms as possible; advocates fighting for increased state funds to construct new buildings and keep up with student growth; wants to maintain the high-quality level of faculty, classified staff and administrators in the district.

Lee Rhodes

Age: 64

Occupation: Retired college professor.

Background: Instructor of biology and microbiology at Saddleback College, 1969-88; former president of Saddleback Community College District Faculty Assn.

Priorities: Wants to redirect funds from administrative overhead to give classroom instruction top priority; advocates building a stronger educational program so that students can more easily transfer to a four-year institution or the workplace; supports term limits on board members.

DISTRICT 6

Steven J. Frogue

Age: 50

Occupation: High school history teacher and small business owner.

Background: Former part-time instructor at Saddleback College for 20 years; Little League coach; American Youth Soccer Organization coach; Eagle Scout sponsor for Boy Scouts; former president of Saddleback Area Historical Society; president of Friends of the El Toro Library; member of Saddleback Volunteer Network.

Priorities: Wants to increase the number of classes and course offerings; wants to restore cuts made to summer school program; advocates increasing funding to classrooms and granting faculty pay raises; wants to reduce expenses by cutting outside consultant and expert fees.

Asha Knott

Age: 49

Occupation: Marketing vice president of environmental management firm.

Background: Former chemistry professor; helped organize the local American Assn. of University Women branch in Mission Viejo; state co-chair for the Bush/Quayle Reelection Coalition; co-chair of the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans Coalition.

Priorities: Advocates increasing funding for classes and increasing course offerings to meet growing student population; wants to emphasize business background and expand vocational training courses; wants to increase safety for students and staff; supports expanding curriculum to meet needs of a diverse student body.

Robert L. Moore

Age: 51

Occupation: Incumbent; engineer.

Background: First elected to board in 1979; vice president of Armed Forces Communications Electronics Assn.; member of statewide commission for community college tuition and fees; former commissioner on Irvine Community Services Commission.

Priorities: Wants to continue to provide quality services with limited resources; wants to prepare for technological changes that will affect classrooms and teachers in the next century; advocates maintaining top salary scales for faculty to remain competitive in hiring and retaining top educators; wants to move toward planning for a third campus in the district.

DISTRICT 7

Hassell W. Berry

Age: 61

Occupation: Retired financial executive with the Chrysler Corp.

Background: Former Army sergeant; current Saddleback College student pursuing an associate arts degree in Spanish.

Priorities: Emphasizes financial background to make sure taxpayers and students of the district receive the best possible service for their investment; wants to lower tuition and text book costs.

John C. Connolly

Age: 50

Occupation: Incumbent.

Background: Appointed to board in 1978, first elected in 1979.

Priorities: Wants to maintain fiscally conservative approach to running the district; wants to continue to seek alternative sources of income for the district other than what’s provided by the state; wants to continue to serve as many students as possible, even when beyond state funding levels; advocates maintaining top academic standards that have prepared students for transfer and expanding the number of guaranteed transfer programs with four-year universities.

Robert W. Moore

Age: 68

Occupation: Businessman.

Background: Former director of Chamber of Commerce in Dana Point, 1987-89; owner of a furniture manufacturing firm in Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., 1975-85, served as president of the furniture division of Price Co., 1988-91; now a consultant for furniture manufacturers.

Priorities: Wants to operate the district more like a business by reducing fixed costs and expanding fund-raising efforts with community businesses; wants to increase the number of general education classes while reducing the “fringe” classes; supports term limits for the board.

John S. Williams

Age: 41

Occupation: Sergeant with Orange County Marshal’s Department.

Background: Past president and member of the Assn. of Deputy Marshals of Orange County; volunteer track coach at Saddleback College for seven years.

Priorities: Supports effort to divide district in two and dismantle overall district administration; wants to make classroom and faculty top priorities for funding; wants to increase campus safety; supports pay raise for faculty members.