Celia Runs for MPC Trustee and Wins.
CELIA BARBERENA MPC TRUSTEE AREA 4
Building a better community for the future
Trustee Area 4
City of Pacific Grove, the Del Monte Forest Area, and the area west of the Presidio in the City of Monterey.
Endorsed by: Monterey County Democrats, Democratic Women of Monterey County, the Monterey County New Progressives, and The Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
Celebrating the WIN!
The past year brought with it many lessons that were hard learned – mostly lessons in humility and patience.
After consulting with community leaders and with their encouragement and advice, I decided to run for the office of Community College Trustee, specifically, for Monterey Peninsula College Trustee, Area 4.
Why would I want to do this, you may ask? I am retired and live comfortably in a little slice of heaven – Pacific Grove. Well, it’s because the California Community Colleges gave me a great deal of opportunity to grow, to advance and to realize my potential in that setting. In a period of 25 years I advanced from part-time faculty to college President. Yes, it was challenging, requiring smarts, persistence, strength, but, doable, nonetheless. So, it is now my charge to pay back and apply what I have learned to the governance of a community college that is one of the gems of our region.
By nature, I am self-sufficient. I go about my life taking care of myself, helping others financially and volunteering at various organization. Living a life worth living means to me contributing ideas learned through professional and life experiences and donating financial resources to the extent that I can.
However, the lessons of this past year, the lessons I have learned in running for office have been different. Taking a campaign to a WIN means reaching out and asking for help. This is not something I do very well and yet, this was the time when I had to learn to do so. What has motivated me to do what’s uncomfortable and reach out for help is that I believe I have the requisite knowledge, experience and temperament to make a very good Trustee and you can’t take your campaign to WIN by yourself.
I have needed a lot of help from friends, neighbors and associates – to support my applications for endorsements, to place signs on their yards, to wear buttons, to get the word out, and very important, to help me finance my campaign, for mailers, buttons, signs, advertising, etc. My campaign was financed by close to 30 individuals, including myself, and 2 organizations that endorsed me. Additionally, I received the endorsements of other organizations that have credibility in our community. Many friends and colleagues gave me encouragement, support and their vote.
That is why, I repeat, what I needed to understand was that I could not win working on my own and that humbly and patiently asking for help was necessary. I only persisted so I could live up to the spirit of community service in a new arena.
For the support I received in this new adventure, for the lessons learned, for all of that has been given to me, I am eternally grateful. And the work of being a Trustee has only began.