Like many of The Signal’s readers, I am a proud Republican. I attend church and believe in strong family values. And yes, I am part of the CSEA Union of classified professionals at College of the Canyons, where I have worked for over a decade. We look out for one another in this group, even though we are a diverse mix of positions and political viewpoints, and we don’t all agree on every piece of statewide legislation or policies for our schools and higher education.
While we might disagree on who the next congressperson or president should be, the vast majority of us are endorsing Jerry Danielsen and Edel Alonso to continue on the COC board of trustees. Why? How can we set aside personal political views and unite behind Edel and Jerry? In short, they saved us and saved the college. They enacted changes that greatly improved the quality of life for classified staff. In the process, they faced significant public criticism.
I encourage you to meet Jerry and Edel — they are some of the kindest people you will meet and are frequently checking in with staff about ideas to improve the college.
Regardless of whether you are conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between, I ask you to elect Edel Alonso and Jerry Danielsen to the COC board, because they understand what we’ve been through and have helped us begin a new chapter.
Gina Thompson
Newhall
