Trustees Elect New Officers

December 17, 2018 - 02:36 PM

At its annual organizational meeting Dec. 12, the Mt. San Antonio College Board of Trustees elected Robert Hidalgo as president, Jay Chen as vice president, and Laura Santos as clerk to serve one-year terms. Trustees Chen Haggerty, Gary Chow, Hidalgo and Santos were also sworn in having won election or re-election in November.

 Hidalgo was elected to the Board in 2013 and represents Trustee Area 4, which covers most of West Covina and Valinda.  He previously served on the Rowland Unified School Board of Education to which he was elected in 2005 and again in 2009.  He has also served on the Executive Board for the California Latino School Board Association, Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, and the La Puente Valley Regional Occupational Program.  He has over 15 years of experience in public education, having taught at both middle and high schools. He currently serves as assistant principal at Glen A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights.

 Chen was elected to represent Trustee Area 5, which covers Hacienda Heights and La Puente, in 2015 after serving on the Board of Education for Hacienda La Puente Unified School District for two terms and eight years. He was twice elected President of the Board of Education, and served two terms on the La Puente Valley Regional Occupational Program.  He has also served as President of the Asian Pacific Islander School Board Members Association, was a member of the Delegate Assembly for the California School Board Association, and a member of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association. Jay currently owns his own real estate business.

 Santos was elected to the Board in 2013 and represents Trustee Area 3, which covers La Puente, Bassett, Baldwin Park, and Irwindale.  She previously served on the Basset Unified School District Board since 2007. She also serves on the Los Angeles County School Trustee Association’s Community College Subcommittee. Professionally, she has practiced law and currently practices public relations in the San Gabriel Valley. She has practiced law and currently practices public relations in the San Gabriel Valley.

 Outgoing president Dr. Manuel Baca was thanked by his fellow board members for his year of leadership.