Piedad Robertson plays ongoing role in new administration
After advising Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on his transition into office, SMC president Dr. Piedad Robertson was recently named a special advisor to Richard Riordan, former mayor of Los Angeles and Schwarzenegger’s new education secretary.
As part of the honorary volunteer position, Robertson, a Democrat, will answer education questions posed by Riordan, and help set up the staff within his 14-person department in Sacramento.
“This is a group of his friends,” she said. “Part of what I can do for Dick Riordan is to help him better understand community colleges and help him see in community colleges the great force they are, and I think he does... he sees the value of the community colleges and wants to tap into them.”
As education secretary, Riordan oversees a staff of 14. Robertson said some of those people have resigned, others will move into different positions in Sacramento and Riordan will likely bring in many of his own people. In the meantime, the workers have agreed to stay as long as they’re needed.
“These are not just political appointees, these are hard working folks in government,” the 65-year-old Robertson said.
Robertson was one of 65 leaders throughout California that acted as advisors during Schwarzenegger’s transition into the governor’s office. As an advisor, she took part in weekly meetings over the telephone, answered questions and gathered information for the governor-elect.
The night before the swearing-in ceremony, Schwarzenegger thanked his advisors. A spokesman said the advisors’ official roles are completed but Schwarzenegger will continue to lean on them for advice and to find the most talented people for his administration.
Though Robertson declined to comment on the exact nature of the advisors’ discussions, she said she is encouraged by the new group in Sacramento and hopes funding for SMC will improve. But Robertson, who has been at SMC for nine years and drawn sharp criticism from campus groups for overseeing $10 million in cuts last year, cautioned against hoping for an immediate change. SMC’s $200-plus million budget was eventually balanced this year, but not without severe cuts in programs and jobs.
In the meantime, Robertson said she will only be involved as a part-time advisor to Riordan and will continue concentrating all her energies on improving SMC.
Riordan said he appreciates the help.
“As I embark on this new position of secretary of education, I feel fortunate to have Dr. Piedad Robertson on my team,” he said. “She shares my priority in putting California first. I am very lucky to have Dr. Robertson’s expertise on educational matters.”
Richard Riordan
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 20, 2003. Read the original PDF.