Phil Ritter wins District 2; Districts 3 and 4 headed for June 18 runoffs

Dallas County voters on May 7 cast ballots in races to fill three open seats on the DCCCD Board of Trustees.

In District 2, Phil Ritter won the race to succeed the retiring Trustee Bob Ferguson.

No candidate secured a majority of votes in District 3 or District 4.

In District 3, Dorothy Zimmermann and Tommy Reed will compete in a runoff election on June 18, to succeed the retiring Trustee Jerry Prater.

In District 4, Monica Lira Bravo and Martha Jo Talbot will compete in a runoff election on June 18, to succeed the retiring Trustee Bill Metzger.

Early voting will be available from June 6 to June 14. Polling places for early voting and the June 18 election day have not yet been made available.

Voters who live in District 3 or District 4 who wish to vote absentee by mail may complete an Application for Ballot By Mail form, and return that completed form to the address indicated on the form. Applications to vote absentee by mail must be received by the Dallas County Elections Department, by Friday, June 3, to receive an absentee ballot before the June 18 election day.

More information is available from The Dallas Morning News.

Dallas Morning News publishes voters guide for DCCCD Board of Trustees races; League of Women Voters publishes candidate information

VOTERS GUIDES: The Dallas Morning News has published a comprehensive voters' guide for the May 7 Joint Election, in which three new members of the DCCCD Board of Trustees will be elected. With these links, you can compare candidates side by side for District 2, District 3, and District 4.

The League of Women Voters of Dallas has published their May 7 Joint Election Voters Guide. DCCCD Board of Trustees candidate profiles begin on Page 9 of the PDF document.

The DCCFA has sent a questionnaire to all ten candidates and eight have responded. Their responses are located at these links: Monica Lira Bravo, Frank Millsap, J.C. Osborne, Tommy Reed, Phil Ritter, Gene Robinson, Martha Jo Talbot, and Dorothy Zimmermann. Candidates Richard Morgan (District 2) and Brad T. Underwood (District 4) have not returned a questionnaire.

HOW TO FIND YOUR PRECINCT, POLLING PLACE, AND SAMPLE BALLOT:
If you are a resident of Dallas County, you can click on this Voter Lookup Link to find your elected officials, including your DCCCD Board of Trustees district. You will need to enter your first name, last name, and date of birth. The sample ballot will also indicate your official May 7 polling place.

DCCCD BOARD ELECTIONS IN THE NEWS:
Campaign mailers sent by two candidates were covered in The Dallas Morning News Education Blog and on WFAA.com.

EARLY VOTING THROUGH TUESDAY, MAY 3:
Early voting begins Monday, April 25. You can find the early voting location closest to your home or campus at the Joint Elections Early Voting Locations PDF Link.

Video of April 27 Candidates Forum at North Lake College

Video of the April 27 Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at North Lake College is now available for viewing.

Video of the March 30 DCCCD Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at Eastfield College

Video of the March 30 DCCCD Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at Eastfield College is available on YouTube at this link.

Nine candidates participated. From District 2, Richard Morgan, J.C. Osborne, Phil Ritter, and Gene Robinson participated. From District 3, Frank Millsap and Dorothy Zimmermann participated. From District 4, Monica Lira Bravo, Martha Jo Talbot, and Brad Underwood participated. Only Tommy Reed (District 3) was unable to participate.

Ten candidates vie for three DCCCD Board of Trustees seats

Ten candidates have filed for three open seats on the DCCCD Board of Trustees. The election will take place Saturday, May 7, 2016.

3/31/16 EDIT: Linked names have submitted replies to the DCCFA questionnaire; clicking the linked name will open their replies in a new window. We hope to receive replies from all ten candidates. 

4/7/16 EDIT: Eight of the ten declared candidates have submitted replies to the DCCFA questionnaire. Candidates Richard Morgan (District 2) and Brad T. Underwood (District 4) have not yet submitted their responses electronically or via USPS mail.

Four candidates - Richard Morgan, Phil Ritter, J.C. Osborne, and Gene Robinson - seek to succeed the retiring Bob Ferguson in District 2, which includes portions of downtown and North Dallas, and the northwest corner of Dallas County.

Three candidates - Dorothy Zimmerman, Frank Millsap, and Tommy Reed - seek to succeed the retiring Jerry Prater in District 3, which includes much of northeast Dallas County.

Three candidates - Martha Jo Talbot, Monica Lira Bravo, and Brad T. Underwood - seek to succeed the retiring Bill Metzger in District 4, which includes much of east and southeast Dallas County.

This map shows all seven DCCCD trustee districts. Trustees are elected to six year terms. Terms for Districts 1 and 7 expire in 2018. Terms for Districts 5 and 6 expire in 2020. Trustees represent the community in the oversight and governance of the DCCCD.

Questionnaires will be sent to all candidates in order to gauge their opinions of a variety of issues. Their answers will be published on the DCCFA Advance Blog for all faculty to peruse. In addition, candidates will be invited to a series of candidate forums at several DCCCD colleges.

Eastfield College will host a candidates forum at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Performance Hall.

Brookhaven College will host a candidates forum at 12 noon Thursday, April 14, in the Performance Hall.

Richland College will host a candidates forum at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, in the Performance Hall.

North Lake College will host a candidates forum at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, in Room G401.

Faculty, staff, students, and community members are invited and encouraged to attend the candidate forums. Please feel free to invite students to attend the candidate forum at, or nearest, your college. Also, if you reside in a voting district other than where you work, please feel free to attend the candidate forum at the college nearest your residence.

Phil Ritter - District 2 Candidate

1. Please provide a brief biography that explains your educational and professional background.

I am an attorney and I have held executive management roles with Texas Instruments Incorporated (20 years), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (5 years) and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (2 years). I have a BA with Honors in Urban Studies from the University of Maryland – College Park; a Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law, and a Masters of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs – University of Texas at Austin. More information is available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjritter.

During my time with Texas Instruments, which included service on the TI Foundation, I became deeply involved in education policy, with particular emphasis on early childhood education, STEM, and university advancement. This led to my service as chairman of the Alliance for Higher Education (which ran DFW’s first distance education network beginning in the 1960s), the Texas Education Reform Caucus, and my current role as Chairman of the Development Board of the University of Texas at Dallas. I was active for many years in the DCCCD Foundation, focusing on efforts to raise funds for Rising Star Scholarships. In 2004 I chaired the successful $450 million bond campaign for DCCCD.

2. What is the role of the elected Board of Trustees from your perspective? How does that role relate to your individual input as an elected trustee?  How would you describe the efforts that will be necessary to be effective in your role – and what has prepared you to be successful in that role?

The Board’s role is to set policy and provide fiduciary oversight, review and approve annual budgets, and hire the Chancellor and hold him/her accountable for defined results.

Trustees come from a variety of backgrounds, and it is important that trustees listen to each other as well as bringing their own perspectives to the board table. No Trustee can act unilaterally on behalf of the district, so the collective ability of the board to forge consensus is vital to the success of the DCCCD.

I have been fortunate to participate on the board of directors and in executive staff roles with two successful public entities: Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and DFW International Airport respectively. These experiences prepare me to serve as a Trustee of DCCCD. I believe my strengths lie in the areas of articulating and advancing strategic goals, creating appropriate metrics and accountability, and being an effective advocate in the community and with state and federal government.

3. What is the role of the DCCCD in the educational marketplace in Dallas County? What is your agenda to continue to improve the quality and availability of educational programs to the citizens of Dallas County?

There are four primary roles for DCCCD in the educational marketplace: to serve as a high quality and cost effective option for lower division four-year degree candidates; to deliver training leading to two year degrees and certifications for technical, vocational and allied health professions; and to provide a reentry point for adults who seek to return to higher education for re-training or to seek a degree; and to serve as a contract training resource for employers.

As Trustee I will strive to improve the quality and availability of educational programs by allocating resources to student success initiatives, reducing administrative expenses, and facilitating constructive collaboration and resource development activities with businesses and individuals in the private sector.

4. If elected, how will you advocate for DCCCD students, employees, and colleges, in your dealings with business, the community, other public servants, and voters?

I will be a visible presence in the community on behalf of DCCCD, and I will advocate for the district with the substantial network of elected officials, opinion leaders, educators and business executives that I have established through my 30-year professional career in Dallas, the State of Texas, and nationally. I will participate and seek leadership roles in business, policy, and educational organizations that advance the mission of DCCCD. I will make myself accessible to my constituents and the stakeholders of the district, including students, professors, and staff members.

5. What do you see as the biggest assets, challenges, and opportunities, in the DCCCD? How will you strengthen those assets to meet the challenges and opportunities we face? What particular skills and connections do you bring that can benefit the Board as a whole, and by extension the DCCCD?

The biggest asset of the district is the quality of its vision and mission, and the scale by which it delivers high quality, affordable higher education to the community. The biggest challenge facing the district is balancing revenues and expenditures; and particularly assuring that tuition remains affordable while not overburdening taxpayers in an era of declining state revenue. The biggest opportunity for the district is to innovate new and creative models for designing and delivering education and training to meet the demands of the growing DFW economy. I intend to bring my business experience to the table in the budgeting process, and maximize return on the substantial revenues entrusted to DCCCD by taxpayers, students and their families. I will hone my advocacy skills on behalf of DCCCD, developed through my service on the DCCCD Foundation and as chair of the 2004 Bond Campaign, to drive results that advance the mission of the DCCCD. I will support the Chancellor and assure appropriate accountability by DCCCD administration. I have spent most of my adult life engaged in advocacy for business and education, and I know the audiences and control points that influence the success of DCCCD. I embrace the opportunity to serve as Trustee, and I respectfully ask for your vote.

Letter from DCCFA President Fred Newbury on the May 7 Board of Trustees Election

Colleagues:

On May 7, we have an extremely important Board of Trustees election taking place.  For the first time in many years we have three seats that will be on the ballot to replace retiring Board members.  One thing that has not changed over the years is the importance of the contribution of our elected Board members—they determine policy and provide the leadership that is so important to the District.  This is a very important election and one that will determine the future direction of the DCCCD.

On behalf of our Faculty Association and our Student Government Association, who will co-sponsor the forum, I want to invite and encourage your participation in this democratic process.  As many of you realize, the voter turnout for the May election is very small.  We need the involvement of all—particularly our employees.

I would invite you to visit the DCCFA Blog for more information about the election and the campus events.  We will be posting questions that have been sent to candidates as well as announcing a series of campus forum (dates below) that have been scheduled to allow students, staff and community members get better acquainted with our candidates.  We will welcome your involvement and need your participation—particularly on May 7.  You will also note on the blog that we have information that will help determine your polling place.

Fred

Campus Forums:

Eastfield—10:30 am Wednesday, March 30, in Performance Hall (F Building)

Brookhaven—12:00 noon Thursday, April 14, Performance Hall (C Building)
Richland—9:30 am Tuesday, April 19, in Performance Hall (Fannin Building)

North Lake – 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, Room G401

J.C. Osborne - District 2 Candidate

1. Please provide a brief biography that explains your educational and professional background.

My educational background consists of an Associates degree, Bachelor's Degree, Master in Public Affairs and Juris Doctorate (law degree). I have several years of experience in human resource management, loss management, budgeting, auditing, and public relations. Additionally, I have served as executive director of a very important non-profit corporation. I lead by example and strive to raise public consciousness. I have never been afraid to take risks or to stand firm on principle. 

2. What is the role of the elected Board of Trustees from your perspective? How does that role relate to your individual input as an elected trustee?  How would you describe the efforts that will be necessary to be effective in your role – and what has prepared you to be successful in that role? 

The role of the Board of Trustees is to provide checks and balances to the role of the chancellor and to be an advocate for the students. It is my desire to serve which has lead me to the privilege of running for this very important position. I realize that Trustees have an opportunity to effect change in the lives of Dallas County residents. I am highly driven and strive for excellence in every situation put before me. I was fortunate to be able to use my benefits as a veteran to achieve the American dream. I would like for everyone else to have the same opportunities.

3. What is the role of the DCCCD in the educational marketplace in Dallas County? What is your agenda to continue to improve the quality and availability of educational programs to the citizens of Dallas County?

The role of DCCCD is to provide the workforce with skilled workers and also to prepare students who intend to pursue 4-year degrees. In terms of improving quality, I would start by eliminating remedial courses which are costly bridges to nowhere. I support an open-admissions policy which would allow everyone in the community to attend college. Secondly, I would tailor academic programs to meet the needs of the job market. STEM (science, technology, engineer and math) programs would be made a priority to prepare students for the workforce. I would provide tutors and other resources necessary to prepare students for success.

4. If elected, how will you advocate for DCCCD students, employees, and colleges, in your dealings with business, the community, other public servants, and voters?

The interesting thing about this question is that in order to be a great leader, one must first be a great follower. The second thing voters need to know about me is that I am not running to be a leader. I am running to be a public servant. As an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Army, public service comes natural to me. While serving, I took college courses at night and received my associates degree in a relatively short amount of time. I ultimately was promoted to Sergeant and lead many soldiers to take advantage of their opportunity to pursue higher education.

If elected, the first thing I would do is survey the local businesses to determine the skills they seek. Then, I would ensure that DCCCD is arming students with the type of skills that they need to jump into the workforce. My goal would be to set a standard that at least 75% of graduates are employed immediately upon graduation and that they actually work in their field of study.

5. What do you see as the biggest assets, challenges, and opportunities, in the DCCCD? How will you strengthen those assets to meet the challenges and opportunities we face? What particular skills and connections do you bring that can benefit the Board as a whole, and by extension the DCCCD?

The greatest asset DCCCD has are its students. DCCCD needs to do everything within its capacity to attract as many members of the community as possible. As previously stated, I support an open admissions policy. The board's greatest priority (at least pedagogically) seems to be focused on getting students to graduate. Clearly, there is a shortfall in this area. I'm sure that the board is working hard to resolve this issue. However, the board doesn't seem to be listening to what the students actually want. They are not offering the types of academic programs which would attract students and reduce the student attrition rate.

Studies show that students are more likely to graduate when they are involved in extracurricular activities. I would increase funding in this area. I would fight to keep tuition low and reduce the cost of textbooks. I would also seek an increase in scholarships.