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Board election to have two contested races

Published: Monday, March 8, 2010

Updated: Saturday, April 10, 2010 18:04

Ten candidates filed for four seats on the Alamo Community College District board of trustees by the deadline at 5 p.m. today.

Four candidates will compete for the open District 1 seat for which trustee Bernard Weiner chose not to seek re-election. Three candidates filed to challenge recently appointed Blakely Latham Fernandez for the District 7 spot.

Incumbents Denver McClendon in District 2, who chairs the board, and District 3 trustee Anna Bustamante will run unopposed in the May 8 election.

Candidate Rowland Martin, a former adjunct faculty member at this college, joined the District 1 race today.

The district office of legal services was unable to provide information on Martin at the 5 p.m. filing deadline.

Retired Vice President Thomas Hoy, who worked at this college from 1973-2005, is also seeking the District 1 seat.

Hoy spoke during the Jan. 12 public forum opposing single accreditation citing specific examples of how grant money could be lost in the process.

Tyler Christopher Ingraham, former student at this college, is vying for the same spot and has been vocal at the last few board meetings opposing current district administration and board practices. Ingraham is a political science junior at St. Mary's University.

Former San Antonio City Councilman Joe V. Alderete Jr. also is seeking the District 1 position.

District 7 trustee, Fernandez, a local attorney, has some competition for the unexpired two-year term.

She was appointed to the position in November when former trustee Charles Conner retired and moved out of the city.

Richard Knight, who listed his occupation as unemployed; and David A. Whitley, general manager of San Antonio Air Conditioning; and David Allen Rodriguez turned in applications for the District 7 spot today.

Information for Rodriguez was unavailable from legal services because he filed shortly before 5 p.m.

Bustamante, incumbent for District 3, is an elementary school music teacher in the Southside Independent School District.

McClendon, who represents District 1, is a retired civil service employee and served in the U.S. Air Force.

Trustee positions for District 1, 2 and 3 are for six-year terms while District 7 is for the unexpired 2-year term.

Early voting is from April 26-May 4 with voting locations to be determined.

A run-off election, if necessary, will be June 12.

To find out what district you are in, check the Bexar County Elections Web site at http://apps.bexar.org/webapps/html/elstrinq02.asp.

Voters must be 18 at the time of the election and have registered 30 days before the May 8 election date.

The district's Web site for trustee elections is at www.alamo.edu/district/board/election/default.htm.

For questions, contact election administrator Erik Dahler at 485-0050 or e-mail at edahler@alamo.edu.

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5 comments

Anonymous
Mon Mar 22 2010 19:00
Mr. Ingraham,

I apologize for calling you a "loudmouth." Calling you names only drew attention away from the main point of my post. My main point is that you lack credibility and experience. Have you held leadership/management positions for any organizations? What are some projects that you have worked on and how have those benefitted the community? I also never mentioned your age as a reason you are unqualified for the position.

I have been to your website and read what your positions on the issues. What you fail to see is that the Alamo Colleges already provides affordable child care, has increased enrollment and student success, and is working to increase effeciency in operations. The board is not perfect by any means, but for the most part, the Alamo Colleges are in a good position. The recent issue of single accreditation has been put to rest because the board realized the negative affects it would have had on the district. Before the board meetings concerning accreditation, where were you? When the board decided to increase pay for faculty and staff, were you there to thank the board?

During your campaign, will you be meeting the the staff councils, facutly senates and student governments? You claim to know all about the needs and issues of the Alamo Colleges, but you seem to only have a stance on the "popular" issues. In determing what the "needs" of the colleges are did you meet with anyone who works for or attends the colleges? Did you meet with people with different opinions than yours? You show "concern" for students and professors, but what about the staff?

My bet (vote) is based on the experience and credibility of Thomas Hoy. Don't worry about a horse/dog race, I'm sure the elections will not turn in to that.

Sincerely,

Anonymous, Immature, Immoral, Unprofessional Critic

Anonymous
Mon Mar 22 2010 15:51
Tyler Ingraham here,

The ACCD is neither a dog fight or a horse race; "betting on" an election diminishes the meaning of the election, let's try to be as mature as a 22 year-old, this is serious stuff we are discussing.

People should vote based on issues, not based on age. I think anyone that actually reviews my positions on the issues, www.runtylerrun.com, will find that I have am clear, precise, and well informed about issues currently facing ACCD, the community of San Antonio, .

Maybe the people who refer to me as "Poor Tyler" should take a minute or two to read what my campaign stands for on the website, because they obviously didn't listen to what I said to the board. It is ironic that the school aged person has to tell an anonymous critic to be more professional, moral, or mature, but let's try.

Instead of calling me a "loudmouth", please refer to my plat form. Instead of name-calling, like our anonymous critic, I am calling on our community to provide affordable daycare to students with children, increase scholarships, increase student success, and increase operational efficiency for our newly tightened budget. Is that credible? I think so.

All I want is for my children to be able to attend the excellent community college that I attended. Or I am too young to think of the future?

Thanks guys,
Tyler Ingraham

Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 18:03
I object to the language used in the previous post. Tyler Ingraham is more acquainted with the issues--the reasons for the vote of no confidence--than any other candidate. He has spoken intelligently at each board meeting, and he has demonstrated his commitment to the needs of professors, students and the community at large.

To perform well on any board, a person simply needs to be intelligent, interpersonally skilled, read as much as one can about the issues and speak frequently with those who are most directly affected by board policy.

Go read about Tyler, anonymous poster. And go watch the videos. Wait, don't simply watch the videos. Listen to the content.

www.runtylerrun.com

www.youtube.com/robertjpohl

www.facebook.com/tyleringraham

Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 17:41
Anyone has the right to apply for any district vacancy. However, Dr. Hoy knows the system very well. If he is running is for a reason and I guarantee you is not a personal one
Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 10:48
Poor Tyler Ingraham, he thinks that being a loudmouth at a few board meetings gives him the experience and credibility to be a board member. My bet on District 1 is Thomas Hoy. As a former VP, he has direct experience with staff, student, faculty and administrator issues.






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