Geoffrey Baum for PCC Board of Trustees

It has been an active stretch since my last update, and I wanted to take a moment to share where things stand and where we are headed.

I am grateful to have earned the endorsement of several respected leaders who have dedicated their careers to public service and strengthening our communities:

• The Honorable Bill Bogaard, former Mayor of Pasadena
• The Honorable Michael Davitt, Councilmember and former Mayor of La Cañada Flintridge
• The Honorable John Pérez, former Speaker of the California State Assembly and President of the University of California Board of Regents
• The Honorable Mark Gonzalez, Assembly Majority Whip and former Pasadena City College student
• The Honorable Miguel Santiago, former Assemblymember and Los Angeles Community College District Trustee

Their support reflects a shared commitment to expanding opportunity and ensuring Pasadena City College continues to serve as a cornerstone of our community.

We have also learned that this will be a competitive race, with another candidate now making plans to enter what we anticipate will be an open seat. That makes this moment particularly important.

If you are willing to lend your public endorsement, I would be honored to have your support, by leaving a comment below or clicking on this link:
https://forms.gle/FQ8WC2D9xBJMi8518

And if you are in a position to contribute, your financial support will help us build the campaign needed to communicate our message effectively:
https://www.efundraisingconnections.com/c/GeoffBaumforPCCBoard2026

In recent weeks, I have been on the ground and in conversation with leaders across the state, advancing the role of community colleges in our economic and civic future:

• Sacramento: An intimate gathering hosted by Tony Gonzalez, bringing together longtime friends and new colleagues, along with a welcome visit from members of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors who were in Sacramento that day. Former Chancellor Brice Harris offered remarks, joined by supporters including former PCC student trustee David Ramirez.
• ASU + GSV Summit: Conversations with Chancellor Sonya Christian and Superintendent Tony Thurmond reinforced the urgency of expanding dual enrollment, strengthening workforce pathways, and aligning education with a rapidly evolving economy.
• Pasadena City College / CalMatters.org Forum: I participated in a CalMatters forum featuring PCC President Jose Gomez and City Manager Miguel Marquez, who offered a powerful and firsthand account of the region’s response to the Eaton Fire and the central role PCC is playing in recovery, workforce development, and rebuilding.
• Claremont McKenna College – CMC Leads Summit: The summit brought together alumni and longtime friends, including former Montana Governor Steve Bullock, former U.S. Congressman David Dreier, and my campaign treasurer Cary Davidson—all of whom are supporting the campaign. In a panel on the future of learning, I noted that while CMC is widely recognized for its focus on financial markets and capital deployment, we must be equally intentional about investing in human capital—particularly the students served by community colleges who will define the future workforce.

Across each of these conversations, one point is clear: community colleges are not on the margins of our future. They are at the center of it.

In the coming weeks, I will be launching a campaign website to provide a central place for updates, priorities, and ways to stay engaged.

This campaign is about ensuring Pasadena City College continues to expand opportunity, respond to the needs of our community, and prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

We are building momentum, and I am grateful to have you along this journey.

All best, Geoff

A big thank you to Tony Gonzalez for hosting a Sacramento reception in support of the Geoffrey Baum for PCC Board of Trustees campaign. Tony and I go back more than 40 years to our days at Claremont McKenna College, and it meant a lot to have him bring together such a good group of friends and colleagues. And thank you to Kit Cole for capturing so many moments from the day.

It was a full day from start to finish. I kicked things off with a run around the State Capitol, then returned to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors meeting, where I was warmly welcomed by President Hildegarde Aguinaldo and Chancellor Sonya Christian and invited to offer public remarks. I spoke about Vision 2030 and the critical role community colleges will continue to play in California’s future.

The reception that followed was a chance to reconnect with so many who care deeply about students and the mission of our colleges, including former State Chancellor Brice Harris, former Pasadena City College student trustee David Ramirez, and current Board of Governors members Love Adu and Adrienne Brown.

A nice bonus on the way home was running into College of the Canyons Dean James Glapa-Grossklag at the airport. We spent years working together making college more affordable through Zero Textbook Cost degree pathways, and it was great to catch up and reflect on how far that work has come.

All in all, a great day with great people, and a strong boost for the campaign.

Sacramento friends, I’m heading your way next week.

As I prepare for my campaign to return to the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees, I’ll be back in the State Capitol with leaders and advocates who care deeply about the future of public higher education in California, including the California Community Colleges Board of Governors meeting, where I’ll be offering public comment.

I’m especially grateful to Tony Gonzalez, Kit Cole, Darius Anderson, Mark Gonzalez, and a terrific group of friends and colleagues who are hosting a luncheon reception in support of the campaign on Tuesday, March 24, at The Sutter Club (with a few special guests expected as well).

Looking forward to seeing friends from across the community college world and beyond, including colleagues, partners, and longtime advocates who have been part of this work over the years.
If you’re in town, stop by for a friendly hello, a quick bite, and some great company. Guests are very welcome.

Details and RSVP here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reception-for-geoff-baum-for-pcc-board-tickets-1984676174865?aff=oddtdtcreator

Hope to see you in Sacramento.

Reception for Geoff Baum for PCC Board Join us in person to celebrate Geoff Baum and support his campaign for the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees.

Join us in Sacramento on Tuesday, March 24th at 11:30 AM to celebrate Geoff Baum and support his campaign for the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reception-for-geoff-baum-for-pcc-board-tickets-1984676174865?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=7497a190e6101db3faf9d342903d7fbe4404bd5f5f32ba9ee78f344e8fa780c6f0f55035139da85bfa9847d5c2cf22bcee554b2131992af41c775ebaca1f0fae39cfcc78bd6e9409d059129e

Reception for Geoff Baum for PCC Board Join us in person to celebrate Geoff Baum and support his campaign for the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees.

I am looking forward to being in Sacramento on Tuesday, March 24 -- the same day of the next California Community Colleges Board of Governors meeting -- for a lunch reception hosted by my good friend Tony Gonzalez and an outstanding Honorary Host Committee.

If you are in the Sacramento area, I would love for you to join us at The Sutter Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. as we build momentum for my campaign for the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees. It would mean a great deal to have you there.

I am so grateful to Tony, Brice Harris, Jack Scott, Darius Anderson, Manuel Baca, David Viar, Kit Cole, Scott Sadler, Samantha Martinez, Cary Davidson, Veronica Villalobos, and others on the Host Committee for bringing together friends and colleagues who care deeply about the future of community college education.

It is going to be a great day in Sacramento, and I hope to see you there.

RSVP here: https://partiful.com/e/NigjB9eiannqirNYmD0e?c=mPXC7e4M

I am writing from the plane on the way home from Washington, DC where I joined community college leaders from across California and the nation at the Association of Community College Trustees’ National Legislative Summit. We met with legislators and administration officials to strengthen support for our students and our communities, with workforce education at the top of the agenda. It was cold in DC, but that did not chill our efforts one bit.

Great to be there alongside California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, LA Community College District Trustee Andra Hoffman, and Board of Governors President Hildegarde Aguinaldo, Tammy Silver, and many, many more friends and colleagues. I will keep carrying our community’s priorities into these conversations.

Back home, the Geoffrey Baum for PCC Board of Trustees campaign, continues to build momentum, and I am grateful for every bit of it. Since announcing, we have been honored to receive endorsements from seven current and former PCC trustees, former PCC presidents Lisa Sugimoto, Erika Endrijonas, Bob Miller, and Dr. Jack Scott, former Chancellor Brice Harris, current and former Board of Governors members Valerie Lynne Shaw, Joseph R. Williams, Manuel Baca, Darius Anderson, Henry A J Ramos, Joseph Bielanski, Jennifer La Farge Perry, and dozens of other distinguished educators and civic leaders.

A few developments worth highlighting:

1. Pasadena City College has broken ground on a new Construction Trades Lab to expand hands-on training in the skilled trades connected to wildfire recovery and rebuilding. This is PCC responding to urgent workforce needs, and it is exactly the kind of momentum we should build upon.

2. Education is changing fast, including the rise of AI. The new statewide partnership between the California Community Colleges and Google will expand access to AI training, career certificates, and tools for students and faculty across all 116 colleges. PCC should be positioned to take full advantage.

3. Save the date: Sacramento Reception, Tuesday, March 24. Planning is underway for a fundraising reception in Sacramento. If you are interested in joining the host committee, please reach out. We would love to see you.

Two ways you can help us succeed in November:

1. Endorse the campaign by clicking this Google Form: https://forms.gle/iyBdtwK24Hdo5WiW9

2. Make a donation by visiting www.geoffreybaum.org

Thank you for being part of this journey. Your support, ideas, and encouragement mean a great deal, and I do not take it for granted. Experience. Innovation. Results for Students.

Geoff Baum for PCC Board 2026 - Online Contributions by eFundraising Connections If you have no occupation or employer, do not leave blank. For occupation use general terms such as 'manager', 'homemaker', or 'none.' If not employed by a company, use terms such as 'self', 'retired', or 'unemployed.'

Braving the cold to work on behalf of community colleges and our students.

I am very pleased to announce the endorsement of Manuel Baca in my campaign for re-election to the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees!

Manuel's dedication to California community colleges is legendary. As a longtime faculty member at Rio Hondo College, trustee for the Mt. San Antonio Community College District, past president of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, and member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for California Community Colleges, he has been a transformative leader in our state's higher education system.

During our years together on the Board of Governors, Manuel and I worked side by side to advance reforms that ensure students across California have access to high-quality, affordable education. We traveled throughout our state and to our nation's capital, advocating for our 116 California Community Colleges, securing increased support at the local, state, and federal levels. Next month, we'll be back in Washington, DC, together at the National Legislative Summit organized by the Association of Community College Trustees, once again meeting with members of Congress and the administration to champion policies that help students and faculty succeed.

Beyond our professional partnership, Manuel has been a mentor and a close friend. Whether we're advancing policy in DC or celebrating the Dodgers' championship season at Dodger Stadium, I am grateful for his wisdom, his friendship, and now his support.

With endorsements like Manuel's, I am energized and ready to build a strong campaign for November. Together, we'll continue working for the students and community of Pasadena City College.

I wanted you to be among the first to know that I am laying the foundation for a re-election campaign to the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees.

I am especially mindful that this message arrives during the holiday season, when time and attention are at a premium. Thank you for taking a moment to read it.

For decades, I have invested my time and energy in Pasadena City College and California’s community college system — as a PCC Trustee, Pasadena City College Foundation board member, and as a two-term president of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

During my years of service, I helped lead the enactment and implementation of major statewide reforms, including the Associate Degree for Transfer program, the Zero Textbook Cost initiative, and affordable four-year bachelor’s degree programs aligned with workforce needs.

As PCC enters its second century, several leaders have asked me to step forward once again, led by Dr. Jack Scott, the former PCC President, State Senator, and Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, who is chairing this effort.

In addition to Jack (we took this picture over the weekend), several current and former PCC trustees, including Tammy Silver, Jim Osterling, John Martin, Hoyt Hilsman, Linda Wah, and Jeanette Mann, have endorsed and are actively supporting this campaign.

Our community has suffered unimaginable losses this year. As we recover from the Eaton Fire, Pasadena City College must be more than a witness to recovery. It must be an engine of innovation, helping students and families rebuild, reskill, and move forward. Experienced leadership matters at moments like this.

How You Can Help Today:

-Lend your name as an early supporter, helping signal confidence and momentum.

-Make an early contribution to ensure we have the resources to build a strong campaign. We have an important December 31 fundraising deadline, and early support makes a real difference. Here’s a link to donate: www.geoffreybaum.org

-Share your insight and perspective as we prepare for a public kickoff in January.

With your support, we will build a strong foundation for a campaign that reflects the very best of PCC and our neighborhoods in City of La Cañada Flintridge, Linda Vista, West Pasadena, and Madison Heights. Thank you.

With best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season!

Geoff