4 incumbents face 2 challengers
Four Marin Community College District board incumbents whose terms end in December are competing with two challengers in the Nov. 3 election.
The challengers are Paul Da Silva, a retired College of Marin biology professor, and Robbie Powelson, who works as a home health aide.
“I am the only candidate who can restore legitimacy to the board by adding the educator’s voice that is essential in this time of reinventing education,” Da Silva, who retired in 2019, wrote in an email.
“Most of the trustees over the years have not had any experience in education,” Da Silva added. “The current board often does not recognize that its information base is inadequate. The college must figure out how it can treat its employees better so that they will find their work meaningful and know that their creativity, dedication and diligence are appreciated.”
As of Sept. 19, Da Silva had collected about $49,000 in campaign contributions, 10 times as much as any other candidate in the race. He received a $25,000 contribution from the United Professors of Marin Political Action Committee.
Powelson wrote, “I am running as a recent College of Marin graduate who wants to bring the lived experience of students to the forefront in a police free learning environment.”
Powelson says he is the only
candidate commit ted to abolishing College of Marin’s campus police. He wants to reinvest the police department’s $1.2 million budget into support services for marginalized students.
Powelson, an social activist who leads the Tam Equity Campaign group, says that he has a “track record of building coalitions to fight systemic racism and inequitable policies against people with very low incomes.”
The incumbents, none of whom has served less than six years on the board, emphasized their experience and the importance of maintaining consistent oversight as the college navigates the economic challenges posed by COVID-19.
“Continuity in leadership is critical at this time, as the board deals with the delivery of quality education under the coronavirus cloud, completion of our Measure B facilities modernization projects, and to maintain fiscal integrity with projected budget cuts,” wrote Stuart Tanenberg, the CEO of a home furnishings manufacturing company.
“I have 40 years of dedicated leadership experience serving Marin County on various boards, commissions, and committees where collaboration in decision making is critical and essential,” added Tanenberg, who was elected to theboard in 2014.
Philip Kranenburg, an accountant with 25 years of financial experience, wrote, “It is critical that an educational common asset, such as the College of Marin, be properly and sustain ab ly managed for the community.”
Kranenburg said that since joining the board in 2003 he has played a leading role in the college’s establishment of a pension liability trust fund, refinancing bonds to save taxpayer money and getting the college’s bond rating upgraded to AAA.
Kranenburg wrote he has also lobbied for years to enhance remote learning options, which helped prepare the college for the need to switch tomore remote learning during the pandemic.
Eva Long, elected to the board in 1999, wrote, “I have broad experience in education as a teacher, an adjunct faculty member and a district administrator. I bring a collaborative work style that eng ages members of our college and our community in the decision-making process.”
Long, the founder and CEO of the Center for Longevity, Transition and Renewal, added, “These are times of change that require
leadership. I have demonstrated key educational leadership that can bring College of Marin through crisis with teamwork.”
Stephanie O’Brien, who joined the board in 2011, wrote, “The college has benefited from a well-seasoned, stable and effective governing board. Having an effective board is crucial to weathering the financial demands in the coming years, and requires individuals that can work collectively, aswell as collegially, to create effective policies and resource commitments.”
O’Brien is a consultant who advises California community colleges in planning
capital improvement projects; she is also a managing partner of Collegium Strategies, which works with businesses trying to sell products or services to the higher education market.
O’Brien said she hasnever been hired by College of Marin to advise it on a project, so her work does not create a conflict of interest.
“I have been actively engaged in guiding policies that address diversity, inclusion, increasing access and reducing our environmental footprint,” O’Brien added. “I also believe every dollar spent must provide a solid return on investment for the community.”