News release
College of the Canyons board member Edel Alonso announced she is running for reelection.
A resident of Santa Clarita since 1987, Alonso is a life-long educator who previously worked as a counselor in the William S. Hart Union High School District and then at COC, said a news release from Alonso’s campaign.
While at COC, Alonso served as chair of the Counseling Department, president of the Academic Senate, and co-chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on Budget. Upon retirement, she ran successfully for a seat on the college board. She has served as president of the board since 2021, having been elected to the position by her fellow trustees.
Throughout her tenure, Alonso has concentrated on services that support student success, matters of fiscal responsibility, programs that meet students’ educational goals, and new programs for 21st-century workforce development, the release said.
“I am grateful to our community for the trust and support shown to me during my service. I am proud to be part of the board that approved and supported adding new courses, certificates, majors, support programs, services, sports teams, and facilities, such as the Takeda Science Center,” Alonso said in the release. “And I am especially delighted that we have established an Intercultural Center, a Veterans Center, added more mental health counselors, opened a Basic Needs Center, and now (have) been approved to offer a bachelor’s degree program.”
Moving forward, Alonso plans to focus on improving completion and transfer rates, increasing collaborative opportunities with the community, building an advanced technology center, and providing services to students so that each one succeeds, the release said.
Alonso is enthusiastic about the future of the college, the release said, adding that she envisions a campus where every student is valued and supported and classified employees, faculty, and administration are committed to providing the highest-quality education.
