Conejo Valley voters will choose between incumbent Lou Lichtl and challenger Roger Bowerman for the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) Area 2 Board of Trustees seat on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The two candidates squared off at a forum on Thursday, Sept. 17, hosted by the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce at California Lutheran University's Lundring Events Center, as first reported by the Thousand Oaks Acorn. Workforce preparation, board leadership and accreditation concerns dominated the exchange.
Area 2 covers Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Lake Sherwood, Hidden Valley and Santa Rosa Valley. The district serves about 30,000 students annually across Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges.
Lichtl, a former assistant superintendent with the Conejo Valley Unified School District and former principal of Thousand Oaks High School, now works as an administrator at Passageway School in Newbury Park. He pointed to existing college-employer partnerships that train and place students in the workforce.
"… The community college should provide our students the opportunity to go in, get trained, earn credentials, degrees or certificates to go right into the workforce," Lichtl said at the forum. "We're getting that done right now."
Lichtl also said graduates are leaving the Conejo Valley because of rising living costs. He argued the district must anticipate workforce needs five, 10 or 15 years ahead so programs can meet them.
On board governance, Lichtl said two current trustees lack executive experience, which he called a source of turmoil.
Bowerman differs.
Listed on the ballot as a community college professor, Bowerman is a history professor at Glendale Community College and a former faculty union leader. He called for new certificate programs in trades such as electrical work, construction and plumbing, and pointed to labor unions as a path to high-paying jobs with long-term benefits.
He also criticized the current board's leadership. Bowerman alleged the board removed two of the district's three college presidents and said the chancellor's contract was not renewed. He claimed the district's accreditation was extended for only 18 months because the board micromanaged the chancellor.
VCCCD Chancellor Rick MacLennan announced on June 18 that he will conclude his service when his contract expires on June 30, 2027, according to a district press release. MacLennan became chancellor in 2022. The press release framed his departure as voluntary. Bowerman's characterization of a non-renewal could not be independently verified.
Both candidates agreed that community colleges should prepare students for in-demand local jobs and serve as a steppingstone to four-year universities. Both called for stronger communication between colleges and area employers.
The forum was moderated by Becca Whitnall, editor of the Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley Acorn newspapers, and Haco Hoang, a political science professor at California Lutheran University.
Bowerman is endorsed by the Ventura County Democratic Party and the AFL-CIO.
Vote-by-mail ballots are scheduled to go out to active registered Ventura County voters beginning Monday, Oct. 5. Voters can find election information on the Ventura County clerk-recorder's website.
