The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Board of Trustees announced on Dec. 13 that Trustee Nichelle Henderson was elected to serve as president of the board for 2024.
The board also elected Trustee Kelsey Iino to serve as vice president and Trustee Sara Hernandez as second vice president.
“As I take on this new role as board president, I want my work to be centered on student success, especially for historically marginalized communities,” said Henderson. “I want to ensure that all students know and understand the opportunity and hope that LACCD provides to our communities.
“Additionally, our future and current students need to thrive, so I am interested in shaping and advocating for policies that remove any and all barriers to success. Our district is truly a model of excellence, equity and diversity and I will do all I can to shine this light as we advocate for LACCD.”
During the meeting, Trustee David Vela was recognized for his outstanding leadership as 2023 board president. He was instrumental in securing several wins in the State Budget, including the $2.5 million allocation to establish the LACCD Small Business and Entrepreneur Center at East L.A. College and a $10 million state allocation for LGBTQ student support at California Community Colleges.
He is also credited for increasing awareness of student basic needs, advocating for student housing resources, and ensuring a seven-year reaffirmation of accreditation for all nine LACCD colleges.
“I know Board President Henderson will bring innovation and passion, alongsidea deep commitment to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our district,” said Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez. “This board leadership team of President Henderson, Vice President Iino and Second Vice President Hernandez bring a clear mission to better serve our students and fulfill our educational promise and mission at LACCD.”
As a Los Angeles native and a California community college graduate herself, Iino has dedicated her professional career to the community college system. She has worked for over 15 years as a counselor in various areas and currently counsels students in the areas of health science, athletics, creative arts, and MANA (an Asian American Pacific Islander initiative grant program to support the Native Hawaiian and Pasifika community) at El Camino College, of which she is an alumna.
Iino is committed to strengthening community college education for the students of the LACCD. Since her appointment to the board in April 2022, she has hit the ground running and serves on the Legislative and Public Affairs Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Athletic Ad Hoc Committee. She is also the chair of the API Advisory Committee.
Under Iino’s chairpersonship of the Legislative and Public Affairs Committee, LACCD sponsored three state bills in 2023 that were successfully passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom:
? AB 1151 (Assemblymember Tina McKinnor) — Increased community use and youth athletic access to Community College facilities
? AB 1096 (Assemblymember Mike Fong) — Increased access to native-language instruction
? SB 715 (State Sen. Susn Rubio) — Establishment of the LACCD Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center, which was incorporated into the 2023 State Budget.
LACCD also sponsored three state budget requests that were included in the FY 2023-24 California Budget:
? $10 million for LGBTQ students, ongoing for three years for a total of $30 million.
? $2.5 million allocation to establish the LACCD Small Business and Entrepreneur Center at East Los Angeles College. This was a legislative and budgetary request.
? $3.3 million statewide for increased funding for community college students’ basic needs. A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) was provided to the Basic Needs Categorical Program. The COLA was 8.22%, the same as the COLA for apportionments.
At the federal level, in the area of increasing access and success, through advocacy and partnership with U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, LACCD secured a Congressional Directed Spending Request for $750,000 to bolster the academic pipeline of historically underrepresented students in STEM and medicine and connect dislocated workers to short-term credentials in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine.
Locally, Iino co-hosted the inaugural LACCD Asian Pacifika Desi American Graduate Celebration in 2023, focusing on the educational accomplishments of APDA students with a culturally relevant event including food, music, and special performances from artists all throughout the APDA diaspora.
She has also led the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Student Advisory Committee since 2022, bringing focus to issues specifically facing APDA students.