Candidate for
Trustee; Peralta Community College District; Area 7

As community organizer and public servant, Richard Fuentes prides himself on empowering East Bay working families. He was born to immigrant parents and was the first in his family to attend a community college before earning his degree from California State University Los Angeles, also becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. This experience helps him understand firsthand the importance a good education can have on your life, your family, and the community.

Richard is running to continue his mission, which began at the age of 17, to improve the quality of and access to education for everyone in his community. Everyone deserves a quality education, whether for academic advancement, job skills development or life long learning, and our Peralta Colleges exist to fill those needs.

Richard has been constructively involved in education for many years. When Hoover Elementary School parents needed help to address the concerns of Hoover's Spanish-speaking parents, community advocates called on him. His effectiveness led to service on the Hoover School Site Council. His ideas on collaborations and initiatives for improvements that truly helped students, teachers, and parents subsequently led to his election as President of the Hoover School Site Council. As President, he continues to spearhead programs that have transformed Hoover Elementary into the most improved elementary school in West Oakland.

As an active member of his union, AFSCME, Richard knows that improvements to our Peralta Colleges must be done in ways that provide fair wages and just work for all.

Richard served Oakland as the Legislative Director to the Oakland City Council and assisted low-income immigrants as an organizational consultant to Woman's Action to Gain Economic Security and Mission Economic Development Agency. Richard has served in leadership on the boards of Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC), Association of Fundraising Professionals, East Bay Young Democrats, Oakland Rainbow PAC, Latino Connections PAC, Oakland's District 3 Community Development Board and was an elected Democratic Delegate representing the 18th Assembly District of California.

"As your representative to the County Board of Education, I ask you to send Richard Fuentes to the Peralta Community College Board so our students can afford a quality education." - Joaquin Rivera, Alameda County Board of Education Trustee

" No one is more committed to making sure that our students have access to education, to possibilities, and to success than Richard Fuentes." - Ruth Atkin, Emeryville Vice-Mayor