In light of President and Superintendent Dena Maloney’s retirement and the upcoming election cycle, the El Camino College Federation of Teachers (ECCFT) has endorsed candidates for each open area on the Board of Trustees.

“We have taken a lot more active participation in the upcoming November elections for our Board of Trustees,” Kelsey Iino, faculty union representative said.

For Area one, ECCFT has endorsed George A. Turner Jr., an attorney; for Area three, they’ve chosen to support small business owner, Trisha Murakawa and for Area four, they’ve endorsed Nicole A. Ryan, a teacher.

Since the Board of Trustees has a large role in selecting a new president, the Union is prioritizing flexibility and a willingness to cooperate with the faculty union constructively.

“What we seek is dignity, transparency [and] consultation, I know there’s collegial consultation but [as] far as when it comes to decision making, there’s a lot of things and questions that we ask that don’t get answered,” Iino said.

The Board of Trustees also makes decisions about contract negotiations with the Faculty Union, making this next election important for those who wish to change the conditions of employment at ECC.

“ultimately, the people that are at the negotiating table are not the decision makers. Ultimately, the decision makers are the President and the trustees,” Iino said.