Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) Trustee Bernardo M. Perez has been elected to the 2021 California Community College Trustee (CCCT) Board. The 22-member board (including a student trustee) plays a vital role within the Community College League of California, providing leadership and guidance to secure a strong voice for locally elected governing board members.
Perez will serve a three-year term on the CCCT board, where he will help formulate educational policy issues coming before the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, State Legislature and other state-level boards and commissions.
“I have always sought to address the ‘human element’ aspect when participating in local governance,” said Perez, who has represented Area 4 as a VCCCD trustee since 2010 and has served as chair and vice chair. “What better place to be than at the table where policy direction is set? In so doing, it is important that everyone involved or affected has their questions and concerns identified, heard and thoroughly discussed in a fair and transparent process so that everyone will respect and accept the outcome.”
“The board appreciates Trustee Perez’s dedication to the success of community college students in our community and throughout the state by participating on the CCCT board,” said Chair Joshua Chancer. “His experience, influence and perspective provide valuable insights that guide the District and Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges.”
As a CCCT board member, Perez aims to guarantee stable and sufficient funding for the California Community College system, advocate for the Vision For Success Diversity, Equity and Inclusion call to action, close the educational equity gap and inform students of resources to overcome the cost of education. In addition, his goals are to make the community college baccalaureate program larger and permanent, as well as to increase flexibility in workforce-based learning programs.
Perez has served on the boards of many community-based organizations and currently serves with Adventist Health Simi Valley Hospital Foundation and Moorpark Foundation for the Arts. Previously, Perez represented his community on the Moorpark City Council, including serving as mayor of the City of Moorpark. Perez worked as a project manager for the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation in Ventura and was previously employed with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for more than 30 years.