Area 1: Shelly Swanson
First time runner, mother of three children and retired accountant Shelly Swanson has been elected to the Area 1 seat on the Board of Trustees for Delta, covering south Stockton and Weston Ranch.
Swanson was voted in by 65 percent of voters, holding a commanding lead over her opponent Ralph Lee White, who had 35 percent of votes.
As a new member on the board, Swanson says she will increase community outreach, and to better inform them on the technical career trades offered at Delta, which provide an advantage over finding a career out of highschool.
“What happens at Delta College matters to me and the people in my area,” Swanson said to Collegian early September. “I’m running because I want Delta College to keep serving my community in all the ways a community college should — not just for transferring to a four-year institution, but also for lifelong learning and personal enrichment.”
Swanson has two decades of experience in community and educational advocacy, the passion and commitment to education advancement are the driving forces behind her victory.
During her run, she received endorsements from San Joaquin Delta College Police Management Association, Associated Students of Delta College, Planned Parenthood, and San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association.
Area 2: Dan Wright
Former Stockton City Councilperson Dan Wright was voted in for the Area 2 seat on Delta’s Board of Trustees.
The results show that Wright received 48 percent of votes beating his two opponents; Juile Kay, who won 30 percent of the votes, and Samuel Anderson, who received 19 percent.
Wright said that Delta has a unique advantage in preparing students for the workforce, and because of that he will aim to fund the technical career trade offerings.
“As your Board Trustee, I intend to use my expertise to keep advancing programs and policies that will bring more local, well-paying jobs to our community,” Wright said on his campaign website. “I will work hard to direct funds towards career-technical education across every sector, from lab sciences and ag tech to the building trades and beyond, especially if Measure K passes.”
In addition to advancing programs, he says that he will also improve Delta’s students’ basic needs by filling in the gaps for housing, food and internet.
Wright said that he will use his past 40 years of experience as an educator to remedy low enrollment rates and increase Delta’s student success, addressing declines in both during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wright brings prior experience working with a large school district to Area 2, as he previously worked in Stockton Unified School District in various roles for 25 years, including as acting superintendent. He claims to have developed a strong relationship with Stockton Teachers Association which helped to increase student test scores, and he claimed to have lessened the administrative infighting and ultimately developed a more organized school district.
Area 6: Catalina Piña
Tracy teacher and first generation college student Catalina Piña has won the majority for Area 6 seat on Delta’s Board of Trustees, she will be representing the vacant seat of Tracy and Mountain House.
In a two to one victory, Piña’s landslide win came in at 68.8 percent against Rosario Patrick’s 31.1 percent.
Area 6 seat has been empty since the passing of the late Trustee Valerie Stewart Green in early August.
A new list of priorities will begin for the Tracy Spanish teacher as she takes on new responsibilities in Area 6. Her biggest priority, according to her campaign page, is to increase enrollment.
“Although enrollment has improved slightly since the pandemic, Delta still hasn’t fully recovered from significant drops in student numbers,” reads Piña’s campaign page.
From there, Piña looks to target the low completion rates at Delta that she’ll tackle via student resources.
“Students are struggling. I will lobby for additional funding to improve faculty resources, expand student support services, and enhance technology infrastructure. Strong community college support is crucial for student success,” reads the Pina campaign page.
The path to victory saw Piña receiving a plethora of endorsements from local figures, including District 5 California State Senator Susan Eggman, and Mountain House City Council member, Matt Disk.
