Latino Civic Group to Honor Chancellor

The Latin American Civic Assn. will honor William Segura, chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District, in a public ceremony tonight.

Segura, who grew up in East Los Angeles and previously served as the president of the multi-campus Austin, Texas, Community College, is the first Latino to be appointed chancellor of the Los Angeles district. He was unanimously selected by the district’s board of trustees last May.

Tonight’s event will focus on strengthening ties between the civic association and the community college district, said Emilie Rubalcava, the group’s assistant director for programs.

Currently, community college students at any of the district’s nine campuses can obtain school credits by working as aides at one of the 30 Head Start preschool programs run by the civic association, Rubalcava said.

The organization would like to extend its collaborative efforts with the district to include programs in the fields of mental health, nutrition and culinary arts, among others, she said.

“By bringing [Segura] in and showing him all the services we provide we hope to work together even more,” Rubalcava said.

“The schools provide students in the classrooms as volunteers and we in turn mentor their students.”

Founded in 1960, the civic association provides a variety of services, such as housing development and adult education, to low-income families. The group’s Head Start preschools serve 1,400 children in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.

Today’s event, free and open to the public, will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the civic association, 340 Parkside Drive, San Fernando.

For information, call (818) 361-8461.