Incumbent Cheryl Epple has served on the Board of Trustees since 1993.

A graduate of Mayfair High School, Cerritos College, and California State University Dominguez Hills, she now resides in Bellflower with her husband and her daughter, Nicole.

Epple believes that the Board of Trustee’s biggest concern in the coming years will be the budget.

Governor Gray Davis has tried to severely cut the community college budget in recent months, but he recently signed a bill that restored $32 million of those cuts to the budget.

“We have a healthy reserve,” Epple said. “but cuts can affect the way we do business on campus.

“The governor tried to take half of what legislators voted in.”

Epple is concerned that if Davis is cutting this year’s budget so badly, next year may be worse.

She feels that Cerritos College and its programs may feel some of the effects of the budget cuts.

“It is important to have seasoned leadership on board, not someone who is learning on the job to handle this crisis,” Epple said.

Epple also feels that Cerritos College calls itself the most technologically advanced community college in the state.

“Technology changes as we put it in,” Epple said.

“The trial will be to see that we have enough technology to keep us one of the most technologically advanced community colleges in the state.”

Epple is concerned that the college will have the funds to purchase both the hardware and the software to keep the college up to par with what students will use once they are out in the real-world work environment.

“We would like to teach students on quality programs that are on the cutting-edge of technology,” she said.

“Community colleges can’t be treated as cookie cutters,” she added, “we can’t be all treated the same way.

“We can’t all be told here is your money.

“All of you spend it on the same programs, in the same way.

“All of us are different.”

As to if Epple had a preference to whom she would like to see fill retiring member Dorothy Carfrae’s available seat, Epple said that she has not personally interviewed anyone, but that from looking on paper all of the candidates seem well-educated and are all concerned with the college.

Epple is also looking forward to the new hiring of the vice president of business services, who the Board is hoping will be hired by Dec. 1.

The Board will also soon be hiring a new vice president of academic affairs, which will probably commence after the first of the year.