Early last June it came to my attention that there was going to be an open seat in my district area on my local community college governing board. After talking with mentors, faculty, students, current board members, and others, I decided to throw my hat in the ring and run for office. I’ve spent the last three months up until late hours of the night after my “day job” was done, filling out countless numbers of survey questions from prospective organizations whose endorsement I sought, prepping for interviews, writing out positions to share, etc. I’ve received lots of advice, some of it funny, some of it sobering, all of it useful. One of the first things I was told was to stop writing such thoughtful answers when seeking the support of others. After a 30 year career of writing and honing thoughtful responses, I had to learn that well, frankly, no one had the time or interest for that!
I know that there are more important races than the San Mateo County Community College Board Trustee race on the ballot Nov. 3rd, though stepping up into the public sphere in this much more deliberate way is my attempt to participate in rebuilding our democracy step by step, starting from the ground up.