L.A. Community College board: Eng, Moreno appear headed for seats
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Mike Eng, a former Democratic state assemblyman from Monterey Park, and Ernest Henry Moreno, a past college president, appeared headed for seats on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees with 100% of precincts reporting Wednesday.
Incumbent Nancy Pearlman, in a tight race against three challengers for the third seat, was trailing David Vela, a Montebello school board member, and appeared headed for a runoff.
The nine-campus Los Angeles district is the nation’s largest with an overall $3.5-billion budget and 240,000 students served each year. It has faced a host of challenges recently, including funding losses, poor student outcomes and bad marks for academic and administrative services at some campuses.
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Chancellor Daniel LaVista recently announced he would resign effective June 30, a day before the new academic terms begin.
Eng, 66, who served on the Assembly’s Education Committee, has vowed to fight for more state funds while increasing accountability and performance standards.
Moreno, 66, previously served as president of two district campuses -- East Los Angeles and Mission -- and made reducing bureaucracy a priority. FULL COVERAGE: L.A.’s race for mayor
Pearlman, 64, a trustee since 2001, said she would focus on assuring colleges are accredited if reelected. But she was criticized by Vela and other challengers for her role in overseeing the system’s $6-billion campus rebuilding program, which has been investigated for mismanagement and wasteful spending.
Eng and Vela, who also is a chief aide for state Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina), were backed heavily by faculty unions and the local Democratic Party.
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