Serving on the Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) Board of Trustees for the past eight years has reinforced my belief in the transformative power of community colleges. MSJC creates opportunities for students to pursue their educational goals, prepare for meaningful careers, and build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and our communities.

Working alongside my fellow trustees, I have helped advance new facilities and academic programs across our three campuses, expand faculty staffing, and strengthen opportunities for student success. Together, we have also supported the college’s continued accreditation through 2032, affirming our commitment to educational quality.

Our progress is measurable. From 2024 to 2026, annual graduates increased from 2,183 to 2,952, while degrees awarded grew from 2,848 to 3,881. Behind these numbers are resilient students who, with the support of dedicated faculty and staff, achieved educational milestones.

The best part of my job is delivering diplomas at graduation and witnessing the smiles of achievement on the graduates’ faces. It’s a proud moment for the students, their families and MSJC faculty.

As MSJC welcomes new presidential leadership, I remain committed to building on this progress, expanding educational access, strengthening pathways to university transfer and meaningful employment, along with responding to the evolving needs of our communities.

I am seeking another term because I believe deeply in MSJC’s mission, the students we serve, and the important work ahead. It would be a privilege to continue serving our communities and ensuring student success and responsible leadership remain at the heart of every decision.

I ask for your VOTE to “Keep MSJC Moving Forward!

Robert Douglas

Valley-Wide Board member

My name is Robert Douglas, and I am running for Mt. San Jacinto Community College District Trustee, Area 3, because I believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed, graduate on time, and pursue a successful career. My campaign is about putting students first and taking MSJC to next level of excellence.

I bring decades of experience in public service, education, campus safety, leadership, and community involvement. My background includes:

— 30 years with the United States Postal Service

— 15 years as a Community College District Safety Officer

— 13 years as a 13 years as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff

— 7 years service as a United States Marine Corps Sergeant (Honorably Discharged)

— Experience as a college professor and small business owner

— Currently serving as a Director /Board Member of Valley- Wide Recreation and Park District

— Experience volunteering on a Career Technical Education (CTE) committee at Santa Rosa Academy High School

— Membership in the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce

— Service with fellow veterans and community organizations

— Member of View Church in Menifee

My education includes an Associate of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Long Beach, and a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University. I have also completed graduate coursework toward a Master of Public Administration. These experiences have taught me the importance of accountability , responsible leadership, teamwork, public safety, and listening to the people I serve.

My top priorities at MSJC include ensuring that every Mt San Jacinto College student, faculty member and employee feels safe and protected on campus. I will support effective campus security and trained law enforcement personal, well maintained emergency response systems, and ongoing training to prepare for emergencies.

I also believe in improving communication between campus security, local law enforcement, and college leadership . Every student deserves a safe, welcoming, and supportive learning environment where they can focus on their education without fear. Another priority is student success and reducing Class Wait lists. Students should not have to struggle to get the classes they need to complete their degrees , earn certificates, or enter their chosen careers. I want to work with the college administration, faculty, staff, and fellow trustees to identify ways to reduce class wait lists, improve course availability, and ensure students can get the classes they need to graduate on time. Every student deserves a clear path toward achieving their educational goals.

Also a priority is fiscal responsibility and accountability. I will support responsible budgeting, transparency, and careful use of taxpayer dollars. We must make thoughtful decisions that protect the college’s financial future while supporting students, classroom instruction.

Workforce Training and Community Partnership: I want to strengthen partnerships with local businesses, employers, community organizations, and educational institutions. MSJC can better prepare students for jobs of today and tomorrow.

My years of public service have taught me that effective leadership begins with listening . As a trustee, I will make an effort to hear directly from students about their concerns, listen to faculty and staff about the challenges they face, and work with community members and fellow board members to find practical solutions.

I am honored to have the support of Mayor Pro Tem Denis Bilodeau of Orange; Gustavo J. Romo, City Manager of Coachella; Dr. Karima Feldhus, former Dean at Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College; and fellow veterans and retired public servants throughout our community.

At the end of the day, this campaign is not about me, It is about the students. It is about helping them get the classes they need , earn their degrees and certificates, graduate on time, and succeed in their chosen careers.

I will bring my experience, dedication, and commitment to public service to the MSJC Board of Trustees. Together, we can build a stronger college that serves its students and community with integrity, responsibility, and purpose.

I respectfully ask for your vote on November 3.

Sergei Vinkov

Legal document assistant

I am an independent candidate. I am not affiliated with high-profile politicians, local business elites, or the established networks that have shaped MSJC Board culture for years. That independence is intentional. It frees me to focus on institutional design — the rules and practices that decide who is heard, how public money is watched, and whether the Board remains accountable or simply protects itself.

For the last several years and months I have pressed the MSJC Board to take concrete steps toward better governance: Expanding meaningful public input through written comments, activating dormant provisions of the Education Code that give residents a clearer path to place items on the agenda, rotating executive leadership, and strengthening real public oversight of District finances. The Board has resisted these changes. That resistance is exactly why structural reform matters more than personality. Changing the people without changing the rules simply resets the same patterns.

I am strongly committed to prohibiting consecutive terms on the MSJC Board. Consecutive terms create the conditions for cover-up rather than correction. When the same group of people remain in place year after year, especially among those appointed in lieu, the incentive shifts toward protecting peers and managing problems quietly instead of addressing them openly. Sustainability and flexibility require turnover. Fresh perspectives prevent the accumulation of unexamined practices that ultimately cost the public money. Term limits are not about punishing individuals; they are about protecting the institution from becoming a closed circle.

Better institutional design also protects taxpayers. Some legal expenses are unavoidable; open questions remain around student rights, including First Amendment protections for DACA students and other groups. Yet a significant share of legal fees, penalties, and non-compliance charges arises from outdated or inconsistently applied Board rules. Revising those rules, documenting decisions properly, and treating public participation as a right rather than a formality can reduce the District’s legal liabilities exposure over time. Saving money through a better process is more responsible than asking residents to absorb the cost of avoidable problems.

No student should be left behind because of language, neurodivergence, immigration status, age, economic circumstance, lifestyle preferences or any form of otherness. Community college is the real pipeline to career opportunities and small-business ownership. I will fight to expand paralegal programs to the four-year degree level under Senate Bill 960 and Assembly Bill 2694 (effective 2028), and to incorporate learning resources for blind typing and notary exam preparation. I will aggressively pursue Board action to develop affordable educational opportunities for legal professionals in our area so that MSJC can obtain status as a registered provider of Minimum Continuing Legal Education from the State Bar. This would allow graduates to maintain their credentials after graduation and view MSJC as a reliable partner in long-term career pathways. These programs give adults practical skills they can use immediately while continuing their education.

This race is not about continuing institutional comfort. It is about whether Area 3 voters will break the glass ceiling that has kept meaningful reform off the table. This race is not about maintaining momentum for its own sake. It is about whether the Board will continue operating with the same culture of limited transparency and limited accountability, or whether residents will choose a trustee who treats every dollar and every policy as belonging to the public.

On November 3, 2026, residents have the power to choose a trustee who will push for term limits, open agenda access, stronger financial oversight, and genuine public participation — without the pressure of elite affiliations or the expectation that the status quo must be preserved. Voters of Area 3 — Menifee, Winchester, and the surrounding communities – have for the first time in the last decade to approve a change-driver who will bring fresh energy, fiscal discipline, and a clear commitment to inclusion and open government.

I invite voters who want independent, anti-establishment oversight focused on rules rather than rhetoric to support a candidate prepared to revitalize the Board’s practices while protecting the public’s money. Further discussion is welcome at sergevinkov.com.