At a regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 11, the Mendocino-Lake Community College District Board of Trustees selected TeMashio Anderson to fill a vacancy on the Board as Provisional Trustee for Area #7, which covers Kelseyville and the surrounding areas in southwest Lake County. This vacancy was a result of the recent resignation of David Geck, who served on the Board for nine years.
Mr. Anderson, along with three other qualified candidates, was interviewed by the Board in a public meeting format on Wednesday evening. Following the four interviews, the Board discussed the candidate’s qualifications, soliciting input from other college constituent groups in open session and made the decision to select Mr. Anderson by a majority vote.
Board President, Robert Jason Pinoli stated, “I want to thank all of the applicants who put themselves forward to be considered for Trustee Area #7. Each of the four candidates where uniquely qualified and would have been of great value to the Board.”
Mr. Anderson, of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, who serves as the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians Education Director, has a history of providing oversight to educational support programs that lead K-12 students to higher education. He has been instrumental in the development of the Pomo Pathways program, which is a collaboration between the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Mendocino College, and provides Native American students the support they need to successfully complete transfer level math and English in their first year of college. Mr. Anderson is a Mendocino College alumni and holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and a B.S. in Applied Indigenous Studies from Northern Arizona University. He brings a local, regional, and international educational perspective to the board that will serve the college well as it continues its work with Guided Pathways, strong workforce, closing the achievement gap, and supporting programs that increase student equity and success.
“I am looking forward to working with Mr. Anderson in his new role as a trustee. He joins the board during a great new chapter for Mendocino College, and his insight will be invaluable. His Native American roots run deep in our community and having his perspective to help build on so many well-established programs that are already in place will be fantastic,” said Pinoli.
“I was very pleased with the quality of all four candidates and recognize what a difficult decision the Board had to make. Our trustees are an accomplished, dedicated, and engaged group of people who have been involved extensively with the community and I believe Mr. Anderson will be an excellent addition,” stated Interim Superintendent/President Eileen Cichocki.
The Mendocino-Lake Community College District Board of Trustees is responsible for the performance of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District, which serves approximately 8,000 students at locations in Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Lakeport, Willits, and online, by providing vital educational services to the various communities in the region.