(Santa Ana) - On Monday, December 9, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees, the trustees selected new board officers for 2014.  At this annual board organization meeting, trustees were also appointed to committees and organizations and 2014 meeting dates were adopted.

Jose Solorio, representing Area 1, was selected as president. Lawrence R. “Larry” Labrado, representing Area 4, will serve as the board vice president. Claudia C. Alvarez, representing Area 5, was chosen as clerk of the board.

“I am honored to be selected as president of the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees,” said Solorio. “Education has always been a priority for me. A quality college education has given me and countless others the opportunity to reach our dreams. My goal as board president is to work on keeping Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College affordable and accessible, while strengthening relationships with local employers to maximize job placements for our students. The Board of Trustees will also work to ensure that our faculty members have the support and academic tools necessary to provide cutting-edge instruction to our students. We will strive to provide facilities with up-to-date classrooms so that our students have access to the best technology to enable them to compete in today’s marketplace and improve their chances to transfer to four-year universities.”

Solorio, a resident of Santa Ana, is the son of migrant workers who has gone from laboring in the fields alongside his parents, to earning a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University, to serving in the State Assembly, and now to serving as a community college trustee. He focuses his efforts on education, job creation, public safety and infrastructure improvements. In the State Assembly, he authored laws to improve the way academic achievement is measured, to help students learn English more quickly, to train teachers on using data to improve classroom instruction and to reduce the high price of college textbooks. In addition to his work in local and state government, Solorio has 11 years experience in public affairs, marketing, public relations, research, and communications. He uses those skills to help organizations and businesses, large and small, tackle tough issues and communicate their messages effectively.

A former educator, Labrado served as an outreach director at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) until his retirement. He is currently a small business owner with more than 21 years of experience in enrollment management.  He is devoted to advancing the education of local youth and Latino children and adults and has served in countless leadership roles over the past four decades and has earned numerous awards. He was recently inducted into the CSUF Educational Opportunity Program Hall of Fame. He currently serves as member of the American GI Forum and a director of the American GI Educational Foundation.  In the past, he has served on the Leadership Advisory Committee for the Orange Chamber of Commerce and the LULAC Education Foundation and the Friendly Center Inc. Labrado, who is known in the community for making decisions that support his advocacy for students, holds an associate degree from Santa Ana College and a bachelor’s degree in ethnic studies from CSUF.

Alvarez, a resident of Santa Ana for more than 30 years, attended local public schools including Fremont Elementary, Spurgeon Jr. High, and Santiago High School.  By taking her core courses at Santa Ana College concurrently, she earned a B.A. from California State University, Fullerton, majoring in criminal justice with a minor in political science. She earned her law degree from Loyola Law School and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1994. She has served as a deputy district attorney for the County of Orange for more than 13 years and has been active in many community organizations. She has served as a mentor for the Puente and Hermanita Mentor Program, president of the Hispanic Bar Association, vice president of KinderCaminata, president of MANA, and as a board member of the Community Services Programs. She served as a Santa Ana City Council member from 2000 until she termed out in November 2012.

About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which serves the residents of Anaheim Hills, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin and Villa Park.  Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, and customized training for business and industry.

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