Judge to Speak on Minorities in Society

The presiding judge of the Los Angeles Municipal Court and president of the California Asian Judges Assn. will speak Monday as part of Mission College’s “Minorities in American Culture” lecture series.

The lecture by Judge Mel Red Recana, which will begin at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center, is the fourth in the yearlong series that focuses on personal and professional success stories.

“Judge Recana had a very humble beginning but he kept going, he worked his way through and now he is a highly respected person in his profession,” said Carlos Nava, dean of students at the college.

Recana, who has been a Municipal Court judge for more than 15 years, will discuss “Management and Leadership Skills Which Transcend Gender and Ethnicity,” college officials said.

Last year Recana received a Presidential Citation from the president of the Philippines, an honor reserved for accomplished Filipinos who have emigrated to other countries.

A graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Recana worked as a deputy district attorney before joining the bench. He also has served on the executive board of the Municipal Court.

The lecture series has a diversity theme, Nava said. “We’re trying to bring in speakers from different places and with different perspectives to inspire our students to keep pushing on with their studies.”

Previous speakers have included Los Angeles Police Department Chief Willie L. Williams and NBC legal analyst Manny Medrano.

Mission College is at 13356 Eldridge Ave. in Sylmar.

For more information, call (818) 364-7766.