San Francisco Community College Board Candidates
This guide aims to provide San Francisco voters with information about the candidates running for the Community College Board. Understanding the qualifications, priorities, and perspectives of these candidates is crucial for making informed decisions that will shape the future of our community college system.
The Role of the Community College Board
The Community College Board plays a vital role in overseeing the operations and policies of City College of San Francisco (CCSF). This includes setting the college's strategic direction, approving budgets, and ensuring that CCSF effectively serves the diverse needs of its students and the broader community. The board makes decisions that impact students, faculty, and staff, as well as the overall quality and accessibility of education at CCSF.
Importance of Local Elections
Local elections, such as those for the Community College Board, are essential for shaping the future of our city. As a voter, you will help decide who will lead us and make your voice heard on important issues that affect the future of our state and nation. Every time you use your precious right to vote, our democracy grows stronger.
Voter Information and Resources
If you are eligible to vote in California, you can apply to register to vote right now by completing the online application. Elections code requires that an individual with a disability who is under a conservatorship be permitted to register to vote unless that individual has been disqualified from voting. Pre-register at 16. Online pre-registration is now available for eligible 16 and 17 year olds by visiting registertovote.ca.gov. Thank you for taking part in elections while you are in the military or other uniformed service, or a civilian living outside the United States. If you are enrolled in California's confidential address program, Safe At Home, please do not apply to register to vote online.
The Secretary of State’s Guide to Voter Registration Drives is designed to help political parties, voter registration drive coordinators, petition management companies, circulators, and volunteers understand their responsibilities and requirements when helping people register to vote. Same Day Voter Registration, known as Conditional Voter Registration in state law, is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election. Your vote matters! Find information on the Voter Bill of Rights and how to fill out a California voter registration card in American Sign language.
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Established by Senate Bill 450 (2016), the California Voter's Choice Act (VCA) modernizes elections in California by allowing counties to conduct elections under a model which provides greater flexibility and convenience for voters.
Young people have the potential to be a powerful force in elections, but only if they get involved and make voting a habit. Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber Ph.D. The California Education Code designates the last two full weeks in April and September as High School Voter Education Weeks. Before every statewide election, thousands of Californians volunteer as poll workers to ensure that Election Day runs smoothly. citizens, maintain a 2.5-grade point average, and have consent from their parent or guardian and the school are eligible to learn about election processes firsthand. Students Vote Project (SVP) is a nonpartisan program established in 2016. The California University and College Ballot Bowl is a friendly competition where higher education campuses compete to register the most students to vote and showcase civic engagement efforts. The Student Voter Registration program was created to ensure every school in California provides eligible students with a meaningful opportunity to register, or pre-register, to vote. The Secretary of State’s Voter’s Choice Act Ambassador Program aims to raise awareness about voting options and enhance voter education. The below links include official communication to county elections officials, press releases from the Secretary of State, information about recalls, and current and proposed regulations. The California Secretary of State periodically provides written guidance and information to the state's county elections officials to help ensure a smooth electoral process. The written advisories -- known as CCROVs since they are directed to County Clerks & Registrars of Voters -- are posted here shortly after they are provided to county elections officials. Find the history of statewide, county and municipal initiatives. Article II of the California Constitution, approved by California voters in 1911, allows people to recall and remove elected officials and justices of the State Supreme Court from office.
Candidate Filing Requirements
In comparison to pieces of legislation, qualifying for the ballot as a candidate is fairly simple. First, each candidate for local elected office must be a resident and registered voter in San Francisco when they submit their nomination documents. Secondly, when running for Supervisor, the candidate must reside in that respective district for at least 30 days before filing their candidacy and must continue to reside therein during his or her incumbency. Finally, candidates must also fulfill a number of filing requirements, including payment of a filing fee (or submission of signatures in lieu of a filing fee), submission of a nomination paper, and undergoing public examination and challenge. 5/17/2024 - 6/11/2024Candidates must file all nomination documents and submit an optional candidate qualification statement. City Attorney, District Attorney, Sheriff, Treasurer, Board of Education, Community College Board, BART Board (Districts 7 and 9).
Special Elections
When an elected official vacates office during their term, voters pick who they want to fill the vacancy through a special election. Deciding when to hold the special election is not so cut and dry and can involve a high amount of politicking between the Mayor and the BOS. According to the law, the BOS must set the date of the special election no less than 105 nor more than 120 days from the date of calling such election; however, no special municipal election can take place within 105 days of any general municipal or statewide election. In general, a simple majority, 50+1, is required to adopt a Charter Amendment, Ordinance, or Declaration of Policy. After the election, measures are put into effect rather quickly. In California, if a local tax measure raises revenue for the General fund, the proposed measure only needs to receive a simple majority.
Candidate Overviews
Lori Brooke
Lori Brooke declined to fill out the questionnaire.
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Daniel Genduso
Contact information unavailable.
Jeremy Kirshner
Contact information unavailable.
Monthanus Ratanapakdee
Contact information unavailable.
Alan Wong
Alan Wong was appointed to District 4 Supervisors by Mayor Daniel Lurie in September, 2025. Lurie ran an open process to find a new Supervisor, and Alan was selected from a set of five finalists for the position. We think that the number one priority for the District 4 Supervisors is to make D4 voters feel heard again-and Alan has been doing just that.
To demonstrate this, Supervisor Wong's first act was to submit a ballot measure to re-open the Great Highway. This reflects the majority opinion in the district and sends a clear signal that he isn't bringing his own agenda to the Board, but is there to enact their will. Only two other Supervisors signed on to the measure, so it did not meet the threshold to qualify for the ballot.
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Alan grew up in the Sunset, attended Lincoln High, and has an extensive track record of public service. He’s been a labor organizer, a Legislative Aide to former District 4 Supervisor Gordon Mar, led Public Policy and Comms for the Children’s Council of San Francisco, and, most recently, was a Trustee on the Community College Board. He is also a First Lieutenant with the Army National Guard. Alan brings experience working across different political and interest groups to do what’s in the best interest for the communities he represents.
We believe Alan has the level-headed temperament, experience in public service, and dedication to the district to bring stability back to City Hall. Public Safety. Alan believes public safety and a fully staffed police force should continue to be the city's top priority. Making Government Work for D4 Residents. District 4 residents consistently ask for responsiveness from City Hall. Alan says he will dedicate half of his staff time to constituent services -that's things like filling potholes, installing stop signs, and working to improve traffic. He has committed to reply within 24 hours to any constituent concern and to follow through across city agencies to make sure issues are resolved. Supporting Small Business. Alan says “opening a business in San Francisco is a painful, grueling process that can shut doors before they have a chance to open.” He supports Mayor Lurie's efforts to make it easier for businesses to open and run in the city., In our questionnaire, he said he would launch a program to collect feedback and identify laws for repeal, to reduce or eliminate high fees, and give small businesses a “straightforward checklist of items to complete rather than a byzantine maze of never-ending bureaucracy.” He’d also like to provide hands-on support to fix problems. Families & Education. The Sunset has long been a home for families just starting out, which means Sunset residents need great schools and daycares for their little ones. Alan wants to ensure families can thrive in the Sunset by supporting early childcare and school choice. Affordability. Alan understands that families are hurting with the rising cost of living. That's why his first vote on the Board of Supervisors was in favor of Mayor Lurie's Family Zoning plan. Transit & Parking. As a life-long Sunset resident, Alan knows how important parking is. But he knows that not everyone can drive, so a fast, safe, and affordable bus network is just as important. Fiscal Discipline. Great Highway. District 4 needs a serious, values-driven public servant, and we believe Alan is still the best candidate - and that he will do the outreach, build the coalition, and ultimately drive this issue to a good outcome.
Phil Kim
Phil has both the experience and the track record that SFUSD needs. Phil is a former public school student and teacher, and a lifelong educator. He led STEM education and policy at K-12 public schools across 20+ states and 300+ schools. He has a Masters in Education, and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Education. Since he joined the Board in 2024, Phil has used his deep understanding of how other school systems have improved student outcomes to begin the process of improving SFUSD’s. He was unanimously elected President by his fellow commissioners in January of this year.
We think Phil has done a great job working with the Board and our Superintendent over the last year and a half to get SFUSD back on track, and would like to see him continue his work.
“We are seeing literacy and math outcomes improving for the first time in years, even as we underwent significant budget reductions last year. As a Board, we must stay focused on effective progress monitoring of our student outcome goals, and holding the superintendent accountable to our guardrails.” - Phil Kim, Board of Education President.
Phil’s top policy goals are:
Student Outcomes: Phil believes school systems exist to improve student outcomes, and has shown relentless focus on bringing 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, and college and career readiness markers to a competitive level. For the first time in years, we’re seeing improvements. There’s a lot of work to be done to get SFUSD where we all want it to be, but we think Phil is uniquely positioned, and experienced, in driving all parts of the school system towards the right outcomes.
Safety & Stability: Phil believes that a safe school is one that is properly resourced with highly competent and trained educators and school operators. He worked with the Board and Superintendent to prioritize and protect teachers' jobs during budget cuts. Phil states that steadiness in personnel is also important towards students feeling safe, and that training, coaching and development are needed to ensure great teachers stay. He is also committed to partnering with the Board and Superintendent to ensure school security staff are better trained and coordinated to prevent and respond to incidents.
Access: San Francisco has one of the largest percentages of students enrolled in private schools. Phil believes we must offer language immersion and other sought-after programs in San Francisco to attract more families to SFUSD, and drive enrollments up.
On other issues:
Data Transparency: Phil is committed to making data publicly accessible. While SFUSD does report its data biannually, it’s hard to find, and harder to understand. This is unacceptable. Phil Kim aims to fix that by aligning the Board and Superintendent on goals, the strategies to achieve them, and the data to measure progress. We look forward to seeing clearer, more digestible, public facing dashboards in the future.
Fiscal sustainability: One of Phil’s first actions as President of the Board of Education was to ensure our Superintendent was evaluated on metrics that would align SFUSD with fiscal sustainability. As a result, the district has gone from “negative” fiscal certification to “qualified” and is aiming for the highest, “positive” certification by July of next year, completing the rapid transition out of state oversight.
Brandee Marckmann
Brandee Marckmann, an activist, did not return the questionnaire.
Organizations Involved in Local Politics
San Francisco Rising Action Fund
San Francisco Rising Action Fund is a grassroots political fund fighting for the interests of working-class communities of color, over corporate greed. We are uniting Black, Latinx, Chinese and Filipino communities from across the city to create a community-based political infrastructure capable of electing leaders who will achieve the bold solutions we need and stay accountable to us, not corporate lobbyists. We have a long-term vision for the city and we are in it together, for the long run.
According to Kevine Boggess, Board of Education Vice President and former Senior Policy Director at Coleman Advocates, “SF Rising Action Fund has been pushing for progressive candidates and issues in the community for a decade now, and we have moved our politics in San Francisco from the margin to the center.”
SF Rising Action Fund’s volunteers play a big role in our ability to win progressive change at the ballot box. Every election season, we look for volunteers to help us reach voters about candidate or ballot measure campaigns that help build the political power of working-class people of color in San Francisco.
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