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# New school order
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/new-school-order/
- Published: 2004-10-27T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T05:20:42.000Z
- Author: John Wood
- Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*SMC race heats up One incumbent faces off against six newcomers*

SMC — No matter how residents vote on Nov. 2, one thing is certain: Change is in store for Santa Monica College.

Only one incumbent is in the race for three open seats, which means the SMC board will add at least two newcomers, possibly three. The last time more than one seat changed hands was 10 years ago.

The pending changes come at a controversial time for SMC, which has been busy rebuilding since slashing several academic programs in 2003\. While faculty and campus workers applaud the opportunity to affect change through the election, administrators are deeply concerned.

“What the college needs really, to be able to succeed, is stability,” said SMC President Dr. Piedad F. Robertson, who supports incumbent Margaret Quinones. “So this will be a challenge, to have new leadership.”

> “What the college needs really, to be able to succeed, is stability.” — – SMC PRESIDENT Dr. Piedad F. Robertson

A total of seven candidates are vying for the three open seats on the seven-member SMC board of trustees. They range from the incumbent Quinones, who also spent eight years on the local school board, to a Malibu businesswoman, an entertainment industry lawyer and a retired SMC professor.

The race is expected to be a tight one.

Candidate Doug Willis, an accountant and local Rent Control Board member, said it’s time for change on the college board.

“I’m kind of disappointed. It looks like people really don’t trust each other, especially faculty and administrators,” he said. “The lack of collaboration. The lack of cohesiveness. I’m just surprised it goes to that level, but what can you say?

“Maybe with fresh faces, a fresh start, more communication will take place.”

Willis, along with fellow newcomers Susan Aminoff and Rob Rader, have been endorsed by several major groups, including the powerful Santa Monicans for Renters Rights group, and the college’s faculty and classified employees unions. The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce broke from that mold. It supports Rader and Willis, alongside Quinones. So does SMC’s Associated Students organization, which held a forum and mock election Tuesday.

Quinones, who decided to run as an independent after losing SMRR backing, said there is a learning curve for new college trustees.

“It takes about a year for a new trustee to come in and learn personalities, learn the language, learn appropriate behavior — meaning we don’t micro-manage the college,” said Quinones, adding that some people expected her to immediately work to fire Robertson following her election in 2000\. “It takes about a year to really get the culture of it, and then you get a reality check about what are your financial restrictions,” added Quinones, the first Latina elected to both the local school and college boards.

Candidate Charles Donaldson, a former newspaper reporter and retired professor who taught at SMC for more than 30 years, agreed many candidates didn’t understand the complex finances of California’s community college system. However, Donaldson feels change at SMC is long overdue.

“The classrooms have gone to hell,” he said. “It’s an attitudinal thing and I think you need change from the top. I think the board should be setting the tone and giving direction to the president, not the other way around.”

Donaldson and Willis both down-played the issue of stability on the board, Donaldson pointing to his long and involved history with the school and Willis saying he’s begun regularly attending board meetings.

Appearing on the ballot will be: Aminoff, a community college professor; Tonja McCoy, a Malibu businesswoman; Rader, an entertainment lawyer; Susanne Trimbath, an economist; along with Donaldson, Quinones and Willis. (See related story for the candidates’ political views and backgrounds.) Meanwhile, administrators have added all seven candidates to the trustee mailing list, so that they receive regular college updates and other information. Don Girard, Robertson’s executive assistant, said the mailings were necessary so that newly elected trustees will be at least partially up to speed.

“It’s a big change,” he added.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 27, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102704.pdf?ref=smdp.com)