Los Angeles Times Endorses Dr. Tom Oliver for Los Angeles Community College Board Trustee

Feb. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- Contact: Luis Alvarado
         562-201-5996

Dr. Tom Oliver announced today he is grateful to have been selected as the most qualified candidate by the Los Angeles Times Editorial board for Los Angeles Community College Board Trustee Seat 6.

On the importance of Los Angeles Community College Board races, the Los Angeles Times said, “Community colleges perform a mighty task in California, offering vocational training, remedial classes and preparation for transfer to four-year universities. In the Los Angeles district alone, the nine colleges enroll more than 140,000 students. The challenge of addressing these students' needs is daunting, and in fact has not been met effectively.”

On the endorsement of Dr. Tom Oliver for Trustee the Los Angeles Times said, “Oliver, a retired president of Pierce College, is by far the most articulate and informed challenger to longtime board member Nancy Pearlman. He calls for making more efficient use of instructors' time by having them spend some of their weekly "departmental duties" hours on student counseling, an intriguing idea that could provide a much-needed service at minimal to no cost. He decries the colleges' tendency to ignore many of the criticisms they receive in accreditation reports, and he rightly calls for professional training — of the board itself.”

On the effectiveness of the incumbent, the Los Angeles Times said, “The last time Pearlman ran for reelection, the only topic that interested her was praising the district's environmentally friendly construction program — the same program in which much of the misspending occurred. She is still defensive about it. To her credit, Pearlman has been more prone to question problematic decisions than most other trustees, but all in all, she has not been an effective board member and has trouble outlining a clear vision for reform.

Dr. Tom Oliver is a dynamic and transformational leader with 31 years of exceptional achievements in higher education, the private sector, and involvement with community organizations. Dr. Tom Oliver served as the President of Pierce College.  Under Dr. Oliver's leadership, the College enjoyed a renaissance through an unparalleled era of both increased enrollment and revenue.  He used his business management experience to turn the College's $2.3 million deficit into an $8 million surplus.

Dr. Tom Oliver joined the faculty of Pierce College in 1975 as a Professor of Computer Science. Over the course of his career within the District, Dr. Oliver also served as President at Los Angeles Mission College.

Dr. Tom Oliver has been a statewide advocate for community colleges, serving on the California Community College Vocational and Occupational Deans Council and the California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers Board. He helped lead the development of the new Community College Leadership Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at CSU, Northridge.

Dr. Tom Oliver has been the proud recipient of many awards, including the Executive Leadership Award given by the League for Innovation, and the Justice Armand Arabian Award, named for the associate justice of the California Supreme Court and given to honor those who unselfishly donate their time to public service.

To further learn about on Dr. Tom Oliver for Community College Trustee please visit www.electtomoliver.com