Early voting underway in runoff elections in Districts 3 and 4 for DCCCD Board of Trustees

All DCCCD employees and students are encouraged to participate in the runoff elections to fill the two remaining open seats on the DCCCD Board of Trustees. While only voters who live in precincts with runoff contests can vote, those who live elsewhere are encouraged to inform their friends and family who can vote. Early voting runs June 6-14, and Election Day is Saturday, June 18.

In District 3, which covers the northeastern quadrant of Dallas County, including Sachse, Garland, Rowlett, Lake Highlands and other parts of Northeast Dallas, Dorothy Zimmermann and Tommy Reed will compete in a runoff to succeed Trustee Jerry Prater.

In District 4, which covers the southeastern wedge of Dallas County stretching from Lakewood and parts of East Dallas and Pleasant Grove to Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Seagoville and Balch Springs, Monica Lira Bravo and Martha Jo Talbot will compete in a runoff to succeed Trustee Bill Metzger.

For those who wish to vote early, the Dallas County Elections Department has published a PDF document with all of the early voting polling places. You also can see a Google Map of the early voting locations at this link. For early voting polling places, hours vary by day. Those who choose to vote early can do so at any of the early voting polling places.

Those who wish to vote on the June 18 Joint Runoff Election Day should find their precinct at this link, and then use this link to find their June 18 Election Day polling place. Election Day polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 18 only.

Voters who live in District 3 or District 4 who have chosen to vote absentee by mail must return their absentee ballot to the Dallas County Elections Department before Saturday, June 18.

Runoff elections set for June 18; early voting runs June 6-14

Voters will select representatives to fill the two remaining open seats on the DCCCD Board of Trustees in a runoff election scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2016.

"The most important election in the last 40 years of the DCCCD is only half-finished," said Fred Newbury, president of the Dallas Community College Faculty Association (DCCFA). "All DCCCD retirees; current faculty, staff and administrators; and current and former students, need to remain involved and engaged through June 18."

Trustees represent the community in the oversight and governance of the DCCCD and are elected to six year terms to represent single-member districts, as depicted on this map. Terms for Districts 1 (currently represented by Sonny Williams) and 7 (Charletta Rogers Compton) expire in 2018. Terms for Districts 5 (Wesley Jameson) and 6 (Diana Flores) expire in 2020. Phil Ritter was elected May 7 to represent District 2 to succeed Trustee Bob Ferguson.

"Past runoff elections often generate no more than a few hundred votes. Working together, we have an unprecedented opportunity to shape the future of the DCCCD," Newbury said.

In District 3, which covers the northeastern quadrant of Dallas County, including Sachse, Garland, Rowlett, Lake Highlands and other parts of Northeast Dallas, Dorothy Zimmermann and Tommy Reed will compete in a runoff to succeed Trustee Jerry Prater.

In District 4, which covers the southeastern wedge of Dallas County stretching from Lakewood and parts of East Dallas and Pleasant Grove to Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Seagoville and Balch Springs, Monica Lira Bravo and Martha Jo Talbot will compete in a runoff to succeed Trustee Bill Metzger.

Early voting will be available from June 6 to June 14. The Dallas County Elections Department has published a PDF document with all of the early voting polling places. You also can see a Google Map of the early voting locations at this link. For early voting polling places, hours vary by day. Those who choose to vote early can do so at any of the early voting polling places.

For the June 18 Joint Runoff Election Day, polling places can be found at this link. If you choose to vote on June 18, you must vote at the polling place assigned to your precinct. Election Day polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 18 only. You can find your precinct at this link.

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. Application forms must be received by the Dallas County Elections Department, by Friday, June 3, in order for a voter to receive an absentee ballot before election day, June 18.

"Even if you are not registered to vote or do not live in District 3 or District 4, you can get involved by sharing information with your friends and family who do, and explaining the importance of the vital role the DCCCD plays in improving lives and growing the economy," Newbury said.

More information is available from The Dallas Morning News.

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 April 14 Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at Brookhaven College

Video of the March 30 Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at Brookhaven 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.

Monica Lira Bravo - District 4 Candidate

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

I earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a JD from Texas Tech University School of Law. I am a board certified attorney in immigration and nationality law. I also own my own law firm; I manage nine employees including an associate attorney. I most recently served as the President of the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association. I also previously served on the Dallas Bar Association Board of Directors, the City of Dallas Judicial Nominating Committee, the Southeast Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico.

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 is to set the vision, mission for DCCCD and govern with input from its constituents. As an elected trustee, my role would be to vote in the best interests of the Dallas County community, which includes students, faculty, staff and taxpayers.  My training as a lawyer and as a businesswoman have prepared me to understand the complexities of financial statements and the intricacies of contracts and policies that must comply not only with DCCCD’s mission but also with state laws and policies. My previous board experience gives me the insight to understand how to be an effective fiduciary to the DCCCD community and Dallas County as a whole, as well as a good steward of our tax dollars.

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?

With rising costs of university tuition, the role of DCCCD has grown significantly. More than half of college students in Texas start at a community college. Additionally, unemployed workers normally turn to DCCCD to gain training in a new field or trade. My goal as a trustee is to continue to keep the DCCCD at the forefront of changes in technology and industry. By building partnerships with the local business community, not only will our students have more access to training and employment opportunities, but we also can access private funding to alleviate tuition costs for students to augment our successful Rising Star scholarship program. 

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?

First, I would like to create forums where board of trustees can meet with students, faculty and staff at least once a semester at each of the seven colleges. These forums will encourage open communication between trustees and the DCCCD community.  In dealing with business, community, public servants and voters, I would attend community events and invite different stakeholders to visit a DCCCD campus to learn about all the great programs DCCCD has to offer. Despite the fact that so many students have passed through our doors to improve their lives and employment prospects, DCCCD remains an underutilized and underappreciated resource in the DFW region. 

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?

One of the biggest opportunities is to work with the appropriate partners to provide education and training in workforce areas that currently have a severe worker shortage. With more companies relocating to the DFW area, there is a greater need for more trained workers; the DCCCD is in prime position to provide training. My relationship with the business community could help foster and develop these opportunities. The biggest challenge is having adequate funding for DCCCD to continue to attract top-notch faculty and staff as well as top notch educational facilities. With state appropriations covering an ever-decreasing percentage of operating costs, DCCCD must continually identify efficiencies to reduce expenditures, but we also must help grow the overall tax base to alleviate pressures to offset declining state funding with tax rate or tuition increases.