• San Jacinto Board of Trustees Position 3:

  • Judy Harrison

    Phone: Not Provided
    Email: electjudyharrison@gmail.com
    Facebook: Elect Judy Harrison
    Website: Not Provided

  • Candidate Questionnaire​:
     
    1. What inspired you to run for the Pasadena independent School District Board of Trustees or the San Jacinto Board of Trustees? 
    I am a long-time advocate for San Jacinto College. It is a vital part of our community and provides accredited, cutting-edge programs to strengthen our area workforce.  I knew Marie Flickinger well and admired her unwavering loyalty to the College as a Trustee.  When she passed in late 2024, I saw an opportunity to honor her and C. Parker Williams (President of the South Campus and a former Trustee) by running for Marie’s seat.  In addition, I have high respect for Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer who, with the Board of Trustees support, continues to lead with vision to provide the programs needed by those in our community to better themselves and provide for their families. A skilled workforce keeps our community businesses and industry viable.  I aspire to give back by helping the College to continue to move forward.
     
    2. What qualifications, experience, and leadership skills prepare you for this role, including crisis response, crime prevention, financial literacy, and public communication?
    I am the best qualified to be a Trustee of San Jacinto College.  I have many years of experience working in community college and have served in several capacities at San Jacinto College. I am a Proven Leader.
    • Education: B.S. in HPERD – University of Illinois
                         M.S. in Biomechanics – University of Illinois
    • San Jacinto College Faculty 1980 – 2018
    • Head Women’s Track & Field Coach 1980 – 1991 (Central Campus)
    • Department Chair of Physical Education 1991-2000 (South Campus)
    • Developed the Soccer and Softball Programs (South Campus)
    • Athletics Director 1993-1999 (South Campus)
    • President of the San Jacinto College Faculty Organization
    • Chair of the Curriculum Committee 1992-2000 (South Campus)
    • Assisted in the development of the Dance and Personal Trainer Degree Programs
    • Interim Dual Credit/Clear Horizons Early College High School Director
    • Successful Coaching Career in Track & Field
    • USA Olympic Track & Field Coach 2000
    • 2 NJCAA National Championships
    • 136 All-Americans
    • 6 Olympians
    • 5 times NJCAA Coach of the Year
    • I have been Team Manager for 10+ international Track & Field Meets
    3. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing our school district / college?  How would you address them?
    The biggest challenges for our College are funding sources, providing timely degrees and certifications, and supporting programs that help students achieve their goals.
    • Funding Sources
      • We must continue to dialog with our state officials so that community colleges receive adequate funding.
      • We must look for creative ways to provide monies to support new initiatives
    • Timely Degrees and Certifications
      • We must research the latest job trends for our area and create new pathways for skill development in those areas
      • We must work closely with the economic development professionals on the ship channel and in our communities, to be ready with programs that meet their workforce needs
    • Programs to Support Student Achievement
      • We need more opportunities for our students to discover their goals and learn to develop an action plan to achieve them
      • We must find innovative ways to encourage students to practice a success lifestyle
    4. What do you see as the biggest strengths and successes of our school district/college?
    The biggest strengths of San Jacinto College are that it:
    • Provides an accredited quality education
    • Provides a large variety of certifications and degrees
    • Can change/add curriculum quickly to meet workforce needs
    • Serves a diverse population with a variety of educational needs
    • Provides an Early College High School opportunity for each school district
    • Has a strong college level dual credit program
    • Has recruited and retained outstanding faculty who maintain high standards
    • Is committed to the Promise Scholarship Program
    • Is dynamic, always looking ahead to meet needs in our community
    5. What is your vision for the school district/college in the next three to five years? 
    My vision for San Jacinto College in the next three to five years is that it continues to be the outstanding community college it is now.  I see new partnerships as our businesses and industries grow and change. With Dr. Hellyer leading and a strong Board of Trustees dedicated to continuing a legacy of excellence, I see the college standing in the gap between potential and performance.
     
    6. What are your top priorities for the first 6 months, and what policies or initiatives will you continue or change?
    My top priorities for the first 6 months will be to support the current Promise Scholarship and Accelerated College Education (ACE) initiatives. Our Promise Scholarship program is a way for every high school senior in our College District to have access to courses, degrees and certifications that support their dreams and goals at no financial cost. Through my years of teaching and coaching, I often would ask students why they were at San Jacinto College. Many didn’t know. The college has worked hard to help students develop a pathway to success. I want to support more ways to help students find their passion and success! The college had a previous tag line: “Reinvent Yourself”.  For many students a good tag line would be “Invent Yourself”.  The ACE program is a recent addition to the curriculum offerings.  As an educator, I know that students learn at different rates and that in our diverse student population, many students already have some of the skills that are taught.  What a great way to acknowledge what the students already have mastered and let them use their time to master the concepts and skills they do not have.
     
    7. Access to talent and workforce is the number one challenge facing our businesses and industries.  What would you do to ensure that employers' needs are met, and students are graduating with the skills necessary to succeed?
    San Jacinto College has Advisory Committees for most certification programs.  As a Trustee I would encourage our faculty and administrators to invite as many of their area business partners as possible to get together regularly to give input on curriculum and the need for soft skills.  As a college, our success is directly connected to our ability to determine the needs of our business and industry partners and respond quickly to meet those needs. Community colleges are uniquely situated to be able to respond quickly in developing and implementing new accredited programs.  As a Trustee I would be watching our success rate (students graduating and being employed in our local workforce) and asking questions and expressing concerns if any issues arise.  I would like to hear from our business and industry partners about how we are doing, if we are meeting their needs. I am sure there is a feedback mechanism. 
     
    8. Supporting local businesses is a chamber priority.  What would you do to support local businesses as a Board Trustee?
    I would encourage:
    • community relations through the San Jacinto College Foundation
    • local businesses to become district vendors through proper and legal channels
    • the college to stand behind initiatives such as job fairs to help and assist our students in joining the local workforce.
    9. Collaboration among the chamber, city, school district, and college has been pivotal in achieving success both in educational programs and during times of natural disaster when coordinated efforts are necessary for recovery.  What suggestions or ideas do you have for continued collaboration and enhanced partnerships?
    There are city-wide and county initiatives in place that involve all first responders and stakeholders including various local government officials, law enforcement officials, public relations departments, all with specific tasks necessary for a coordinated effort to address specific emergencies.  In the last ten years we have had hurricanes, flooding, plant explosions, chemical fires, a rare tornado, and a pandemic. All were handled with a high level of communication and expertise by those involved. We need to continue to investigate new technology to further enhance already successful methods.

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