Five candidates vie for two spots on Palomar College's Governing Board

There are two open seats on the Palomar Community College District's Governing Board

and five candidates are looking to obtain one of those seats. Voters in northern San Diego County will decide who lands the spots when they participate in the Nov. 6 general election.

Palomar College is a public two-year community college which has its main campus in San Marcos. The Palomar Community College District serves 2,500 square miles of northern San Diego County, and last summer Palomar opened its new North Education Center in Fallbrook.

The only incumbent among the five candidates on the ballot is Mark R. Evilsizer, who currently serves as secretary of the board. The Village News emailed a question to the candidates and all responded.

The question and the candidates' answers follow (note: candidate names are listed in the same order as they are on the ballot).

Why are you running for a seat on the board, and what are the main challenges facing the district?

Lee Dulgeroff, Executive/Taxpayer Advocate

"I believe schools are the heart and soul of our community; they are vital centers preparing students for 21st century careers. Community colleges play an important role in our society preparing students for higher education, and workforce training. The local economy and our future depend on a well-educated workforce.

College education is becoming expensive for middle-class families and less accessible to students. I want to improve access to affordable education opportunities. I support a two-year, debt-free community college education and giving student's educational choices so they can quickly enter the workforce or transfer to universities.

Over the past decade, North County has grown while the enrollment at Palomar College has stagnated. I will listen to students and community members, improve access to education opportunities, expand course offerings to meet student needs and grow Palomar College's capacity to better serve our community.

I bring proven management experience to the Palomar College governing board. I serve as a board member of the San Diego County Taxpayers Educational Foundation. As a senior executive, I manage a department committed to school planning and construction projects that provide students with safe, secure, and innovative learning environments. I will help to improve communication, transparency, and collaboration between stakeholders at Palomar College."

Rose Marie Dishman, Retired Education Executive

"I bring my 30-plus years of educational experience to benefit the student outcomes of the diverse students attending Palomar. I have a Ph.D. and an MBA and proven program development in international universities. I served as a Trustee at Palomar (2008-2012).

Three issues of the district are: efficient completion of the facilities upgrades and expansion under voter-approved Prop M funding; upgrading the general education and vocational certification curriculum to enhance the student outcomes in a cost-effective manner; and implementation of tailored in-line courses.

Learning for success can be implemented by dedicated collaboration with faculty, staff, and students combined with thoughtful strategies, focused on student outcomes. Cost-effective state of the art facilities and caring faculty must be augmented by upgraded curriculum that provide transferable credit to four-year institutions.

On-line classes and vocational certifications leading to quality jobs are required. I served on the Palomar Board of Governors from 2008-2012 and participated in the initiation of facilities upgrades in San Marcos and Escondido, and the opening of Rancho Bernardo. I financially support the Palomar President Associates. I bring experience, qualification, and dedication to the Palomar governing board."

Aimee R. Keith, Accounting Associate

"My children are 22 and 20 and I would like the opportunity to serve their peers by being a member of the college board. I am competent, persistent, and well able to perform the duties of the position for the betterment of the district at large and for the students individually.

Progress is made through building trusting relationships. Getting the right people to the table to determine and discuss the critical issues is key. The opportunity for advancement and success is greater when we all do our part. I support empowering individuals to work toward their goals, utilizing all the resources available to them and being personally accountable for the outcome.

Many students struggle to meet their academic goals within two to three years. I plan to meet with students in an informal setting to discuss and identify the issues and potential solutions to the challenges they face. The right first step to serving the students is by listening to them.

More opportunities are needed to engage students with local businesses for the mutual benefit of both parties through internships, apprenticeships, and job placements. Second year students should be working for a local firm, not for a fast food restaurant."

Mark R. Evilsizer, Incumbent

"I am running again to continue the positive growth and progress we are making for students and the communities we serve at Palomar College.

Our student enrollment is up 2 percent for the Fall 2018 semester. New education centers were opened in June 2018 to serve the Fallbrook and Rancho Bernardo areas of the district. The Palomar Promise, offering no fees and help with textbooks for entering freshmen, is helping over 1,500 students this year. A new food pantry will open this month to help our students who are facing food insecurity challenges.

I think the 3 biggest challenges facing the are:

1) Overcoming resistance to change among employees.

2) The ability to be agile and responsive to the diverse demands of our students, and to the ever-changing employment requirements of employers in our region.

3) We must adapt to the rapidly changing ways community colleges are funded, and create innovative revenue streams to support students, sustain programs and continuously innovate to remain relevant for the 21st century."

Norma Miyamoto, Retired College Dean

"I seek this trustee position to 'give back' to a college I love, and, as a Fallbrook resident, to help ensure the district delivers on its promise to build a permanent building at the Fallbrook Center. With nearly 30 years of community college experience (21 years at Palomar), I know Palomar – its programs, students, staff and faculty. And I know the questions trustees should be asking.

I'm committed to public service and student success. As a retired college dean who served in several positions, I understand college operations and I'm trusted – as evidenced by the endorsement of both the faculty and classified unions. My degrees (B.A. and M.A.) in communications/journalism and work experiences have taught me how to obtain information and to think critically so informed decisions can be made.

As your elected trustee, you may count on me to maintain an independent voice and fairly represent all stakeholders. I'll work openly to solve pressing issues of student access; to ensure careful spending and transparency; and to increase revenue by improving outreach, especially to veterans, seniors and first-generation college students.

You may count on me to be accessible so I may truly represent you. Please learn more at: normamiyamoto.com."