Jim Moreno

Name: Jim Moreno

Birthplace: San Francisco

Residence: Huntington Beach

Occupation: college trustee

Education: associate’s, bachelor’s and A.A., B.A., M.P.A.

Experience as an educator: taught adult school and language to Medical personnel, and have also taught English and citizenship at Oak View Library

Previously elected or appointed positions: appointed deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Ed Edelman; Huntington Beach Community Participation Advisory Board member; elected to the Coast Community College Board of Governors in 2006.

Community organizations you belong to: Elks; Oak View Adult Literacy Program; League of United Latin American Citizens; California Highway Patrol Advisory Committee

Why should constituents vote for you?

I am running for re-election as the Governing Board member of the Coast Community College Area 1. I have demonstrated through my actions that I care about the future of our youth, our middle class and our county. I take this job seriously, listening to my constituents, initiating specific changes to improve the district’s leadership and programs. Your vote is important to carry on my efforts as your rtrustee charting a course through this unprecedented financial period in our state’s history.

What do you think is the biggest problem facing your district and how do you plan to address it?

The biggest problem facing our district is the same problem facing businesses and families. The state’s economic condition is the cause for reductions in revenues and services. For the past two years higher education has suffered severe reductions. I plan to address this problem by working with our administration, faculty and staff, as well as our students, to seek mutual solutions and find areas that can be squeezed to “tighten the belt” to meet the reductions from the state. This process worked last year.

In the last year, what is one issue that you think the sitting board members handled well and why?

For the past 20 months I have been emphasizing the need to avoid fiscal disasters. I initiated the District Budget Advisory Committee that sought solutions to an $11-million reduction in state funding to the district. The Board of Trustees has worked closely with staff to implement the committee’s recommendations and have been able to keep classrooms open. Yes, there has been a reduction in the class schedule, but we have experienced an increase of enrolling students above previous years and the faculty and staff have stepped up to the challenge. Our method has proven to be successful and other districts have begun to work with their constituents just as Coast Community College District has been doing for the past two years to avoid a negative impact to the students who come to our three college campuses.

In the last year, what is one issue the board got wrong and what would you have done differently?

I think the one issue that we need to improve on is the contact and advocacy role we have to maintain with our local elected state legislators. Because of the cuts to our own budget we may not have provided enough time visiting the offices of the state officials to better advocate for the district. We might have been a “better squeaky wheel” in advocating for continued financial support. It may have helped, but in these dire times that is hard to say.