Candidate for
Trustee; Peralta Community College District; Area 2

Meet Jurena Storm!

"Let's put the emphasis back on the community in the community college system." Jurena Storm for Peralta Community College District + Area 2

This is the war cry of Peralta Community Colleges Trustee (PCCD Area 2) candidate Jurena Storm. Hailing from the great state of Oklahoma, Jurena and her family have proudly called Oakland home for the last 20 years. As a proud wife and mother to her teenage daughter and stepson, Jurena wants what every mother wants for her children, a quality educational system that will prepare them for success in the global marketplace.

A compassionate community leader... A concerned and engaged community member, Jurena is passionate about restoring and unifying her community. The needs are great in Oakland's various neighborhoods and particularly challenging in Area 2/East Oakland. Her passion for community service has led her to coordinate public feeding programs and outreach initiatives such as "Make Over on MacArthur," and Holiday Food Basket Give-Aways serving hundreds of families in Oakland and San Leandro. Jurena is a compassionate leader; a faithful giver and strong community advocate.

The dream of a quality public education compelled Jurena to return to Alameda College as an adult student and pursue her dream of attending the University of California Berkeley + a dream that is currently unfolding for her as an accomplished political science major. As a returning student, Jurena came back with 15 years of work experience having vested her considerable HR, public relations, academic advisement/engagement and team leadership skills in such companies as Pacific Bell Information Services, Mellon Investor Services, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Parking Company of America and Word Assembly Baptist Church. Jurena also served as a member of the Communication Workers of America Union for 3 years.

Organizational Leader & Innovator Through Service... The insight gained from her work in the public and non-profit sectors not only gave her a firm understanding of their inner workings, but also showed her the shortcomings of institutional governance. Innovation and flexibility are key in order to remain responsive to the needs of students and the community. Her passion for helping young people and communities is the catalyst for her pursuit of this seat on the Peralta Board of Trustees and her return to the workforce - to play a major role in changing systems and providing improved access to resources.

Jurena has been involved with Peralta Community College District and Community College on multiple levels of leadership. She served as a Peralta Board Student Trustee; member of the Student Senate of California Community Colleges and currently serves as the Member of the California Community College Board of Governors, appointed in 2011 by Governor Jerry Brown. Her civic duty also extends to membership and service in Hands Across California and Emerge California, the political training program for Democratic women.

Affordable. Quality. Globally Prepared. These are the three pillars of Jurena Storm's work on behalf of the students of the Peralta Community College system: an affordable, quality education that prepares them for the global marketplace. This is how we build the community + through education and activism. This is how we build bridges for local students to brighter futures by offering them the most affordable and quality education they can get in the Bay area. They will be globally prepared change agents ready to engage this new and ever changing marketplace.

"I want others to have the same opportunities I've had. I want to represent the integrity of what Peralta Community College System is: preparedness, leadership opportunity and confidence in knowing that success is possible." - Jurena Storm