NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: For further information contact:
January 15, 2021 Ryan Brown
Email: ryan.brown@sjeccd.edu
Two New Trustees Sworn In On SJECCD Board; New Board President, VP Elected
(San José, Calif.) —Two new Trustees were sworn in to their positions on the San José – Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) Board of Trustees during its regular December meeting following their election victories in November.
Bob Livengood was sworn in to Trustee Area 1, which represents much of north San José, including the Berryessa neighborhood, as well as Milpitas. Omar Torres was sworn in as the Trustee for Area 7, which represents downtown San José and surrounding areas. Despite being new to the SJECCD Board of Trustees, both are experienced local political leaders.
At the age of 20, Livengood became the youngest councilmember in the history of the Milpitas City Council. He was subsequently re-elected to seven terms on the Milpitas City Council and three terms as Milpitas mayor. Torres has previously served on the Franklin-McKinley Board of Education and currently serves as Community Relations Director for San José City Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, where much of his work has focused on immigration, poverty alleviation, and public education. Both men are alumni of San José City College and moved on to four-year universities to continue their higher education journey.
"We are very fortunate to have two incoming trustees with the level of knowledge, expertise, and experience that Mr. Livengood and Mr. Torres bring to our District," said Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland, SJECCD chancellor. "I am confident that they will play pivotal roles in advancing our mission and enhancing the services we provide to our community."
The SJECCD Board of Trustees also elected new leadership for 2021, as Trustee Maria Fuentes was chosen by her colleagues to serve as Board President and Trustee Livengood was elected to serve as Board Vice President. Fuentes, who previously served 23 years on the SJECCD Board of Trustees, returned to the Board in 2018 following a four-year hiatus.