By Jeffrey Cooper, Lane Community College Zone 1 candidate
One of my passions is helping others be successful. I have done this as a parent and coach, participating in trade fairs and my job in management positions. Everyone has tremendous potential, and community colleges are an important tool in helping individuals achieve success and maximize their potential. My work as Chair and serving on the LCC Advanced Tech/CTE Advisory committee has solidified my belief.
I am running because I believe I have a lot to offer the Board with my common-sense style and my experience in the field with trades and students. I would also represent West Lane County in this seat and believe I understand the heartbeat of the people who live there.
One of the ways I plan to help right away is really seeking to understand the current satellite campuses, and their needs as well as the status and needs of high schools all around Lane County. They are our customers! We need to understand what kind of product they need and the best way to deliver it. I will reach out to them, and not wait for them to come to us. I recently was part of one of the rural communities’ meetings that included a high school principal, a Chamber executive and a City Councilor. The information I gleaned there was so valuable. And they learned from one another as well.
I know there is a lot of friction on the LCC Board of Education right now. I think I can be part of the solution. A lot of this conflict is politically motivated and driven by partisan interests. That is certainly not how I operate. I am not afraid to address this head on and seek ways to move forward in positive manner keeping our students’ success as my lens through which we view and take action for the future.
I would be honored to be elected to the LCC Board at this critical juncture in the college’s future.
Read the Q&A here.
