> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # New trustee to be chosen amidst tumult - URL: https://www.smdp.com/new-trustee-to-be-chosen-amidst-tumult/ - Published: 2003-11-03T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T03:09:28.000Z - Author: John Wood - Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import *New trustee will receive full benefits, stipend* Faculty, students and staff to rally at SMC tonight With a group of outraged students, faculty and staff looking on, the Santa Monica College board of trustees is expected tonight to fill a seat recently left vacant by former trustee Pat Nichelson. The board has drawn criticism from campus and community groups for the way it handled this year’s $10 million shortfall in state funding, including the elimination of a handful of academic programs. Kelly Hayes-Raitt, spokeswoman for a campaign called “86 the Trustees — Put the Community Back in Our College,” said hundreds of students, faculty and staff will attend the meeting at the SMC business building, wearing bright yellow T-shirts, carrying banners and waving signs. Group members say they want to make sure that one of four candidates they endorse gets picked for the job. Twenty-two people applied for the board seat and the field of candidates was narrowed down to five. One is expected to be chosen tonight. “SMC’s president received an 86 percent vote of no confidence,” said Richard Tahvildaran, an SMC professor of political science, in a prepared statement. “We’re putting the elected board of trustees on notice that they can’t ignore the students, faculty and staff any longer... After all, we’re the heart and soul of this campus.” Board members are usually voted in by residents. But because Nichelson left the post early, the board will appoint his replacement to serve a shortened term until November 2004\. Board members are paid $400 a month and receive full benefits, covering health, dental and vision. The five candidates for Nichelson’s former seat are Pam Brady, David Finkel, Graham Pope, Rob Rader and Bill Winslow. Hayes- Raitt said “86 the Trustees” endorsed all the candidates but Pope, who declined to meet with the campaign group members. SMC spokesman Bruce Smith said the candidates will be asked a series of questions individually before a replacement is chosen. One of the candidates, David Finkel, is in Israel and had his interview taped last week. “They’re pretty pointed questions,” said Smith, adding the board plans to swear in the chosen trustee tonight. “General stuff to get an understanding, but, specifically, ‘These are tough times how do you deal with it?’ kind of thing.” The five candidates come from a wide array of backgrounds. ■ Pam Brady, of Malibu, is a former member of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board and has been heavily involved in the Parent Teachers Association on both the state and national levels. She is a motivational consultant to companies and has won the Young Women’s Christian Association woman of the year award. ■ David Finkel, of Santa Monica, is a retired LA Superior Court Judge. He served on the Santa Monica City Council from 1986 to 1990 and was a part-time teacher of social sciences at SMC in 2002 and 2003\. ■ Graham Pope, of Santa Monica, is the candidate most closely involved with SMC. A certified public accountant by trade, Pope serves on the SMC foundation board, a fundraising group, and is chair of the committee that oversees Measure U tax money for school buildings. He also is past president and current board member of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. ■ Rob Rader, of Santa Monica, is an executive at MGM and a member of the board of trustees for the Bayside District Corp., the nonprofit that manages downtown. He earned a law degree and bachelor of arts degree from Harvard and a masters degree from Stanford. ■ William Winslow, of Santa Monica, is a lawyer who practices in downtown LA. He is a member of the general advisory board at SMC, a local group that acts as a liaison to the community. He also is a member of the SMC associates, a private organization that funds speakers and programs. Whomever gets chosen to fill the seat has a difficult job ahead. More budget cuts are expected to be handed down from Sacramento in the coming months. About $10 million has been cut at SMC since February. Classes are down by 26 percent, five programs have been eliminated, and hundreds of jobs for teachers, workers, administrators and student workers are gone. Enrollment at the school, which is considered one of the best junior colleges in the state, is down from 31,000 to 25,000 this fall. To protest the cuts made over the last nine months, some students are expected to walk out of classes at 12 p.m. today. College trustees have repeatedly stressed how difficult the cuts were to make but said they were left with no choice. Because of the uncertainty in Sacramento, accepting any alternative plan would leave too many unanswered questions, they said. Still, the drastic situation has left students, faculty and staff feeling cheated. “The trustees eliminated important programs for students — especially for Latino men,” said Angelica Garcia, a sophomore at SMC, in a prepared statement. “We wanted to make sure that the candidates for the open seat realize how important reinstating these programs are — and that they understand they must work with us to restore a positive college atmosphere.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 3, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110303.pdf?ref=smdp.com)