Delta College candidates discuss their positions

Diane Oren and Charles Jennings, both of Lodi, will vie for the open San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees Area 4 position when voters hit the polls for the Nov. 6 general election.

Richard Vasquez, the former Area 4 trustee who also served as board president, stepped down in July. He originally ran for the trustee position in 2014, while still a student at Delta College.

Oren worked as an English professor at Delta College for 31 years before retiring, the last six of which she served as academic senate president. She is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles and serves on boards for organizations such as the American Association of University Women, California Retired Teachers Association and more.

Jennings worked as a professor of music and director of bands at Delta College for 16 years, and also served as dean of the fine arts division, general education and student learning and assessment before retiring. He is a graduate of California State University, Chico and serves as president of the San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association and Music Association of California Community Colleges, among others.

One of the biggest challenges facing Delta College is student enrollment, with low full-time enrollment numbers leading to a decrease in revenue and impacting the school’s ability to offer programs that attract students.

Another issue Delta must contend with is updating its agriculture programs, offering more courses that meet the needs of the local wine and hospitality industries.

Oren and Jennings touch on these issues and more in a questionnair, to the left, sent from the News-Sentinel.