By The Signal Editorial Board
There’s so much going right at College of the Canyons that you might think nothing needs to change. But, there comes a time in every organization when an injection of new blood, fresh ideas and new energy are needed. The COC governing board is no exception, and voters have an opportunity Nov. 6 to bring a welcome breath of fresh air to the board by electing Ann-Marie Bjorkman.
There’s a good chance you will see no choice on your ballot to make a change at COC. That’s because COC elects its board by districts, and only two seats are on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Area 1 incumbent Michael Berger is running unopposed, perhaps as a testament to the job he is doing and the fiscal expertise he brings to the role.
The only other seat on the ballot is Area 5, a seat held by Joan MacGregor, a 25-year board member first elected in 1993. Area 5 includes portions of Newhall, Saugus and Canyon Country.
Challenging MacGregor is Bjorkman, a longtime community volunteer who’s president of the board of directors for the SCV Boys and Girls Club. She is passionate about education and, as a COC alum, understands the value of an affordable college education.
She also understands that serving on the COC board is different from her previous roles working on behalf of nonprofits as an advocate and fundraiser. A college trustee largely fills a policy-making role — overseeing things at the 30,000-foot level, so to speak, and delegating the day-to-day operation to the more than capable hands of Chancellor Dianne Van Hook and her top-notch team
Any new board member will have much to learn, and Bjorkman understands that, too. She has pledged to participate in the professional development programs offered by the Community College League of California.
If you speak with Bjorkman, her energy and excitement about the potential to keep moving COC forward become evident immediately. In short, she is the right candidate, at the right time to help COC build on its already admirable record of success in innovating, growing and making quality education affordable to all.Â
