Editorial: Dalton is right choice for LTCC

Publisher’s note: The following endorsement is from Lake Tahoe News after a team of seven community members gathered to discuss who should be on the Lake Tahoe Community College board of education.

Forthright, informed and prepared to serve – that’s Nancy Dalton.

Those are some of the reasons why Lake Tahoe News is endorsing her for the Area 4 seat on the Lake Tahoe Community College board.

Nancy Dalton

As a math teacher at South Tahoe High School she will be able to be a bridge between the college and Lake Tahoe Unified School District. As the two institutions continue to develop career and technical education programs that are linked, it is critical to have someone on the inside who gets what high school students are going through and understands their needs.

The two entities are losing the current link with Larry Green leaving the LTUSD board.

Ironically, he is a math instructor at LTCC. As a numbers guy, he has been able to use his expertise when it has come to financial matters on his board. And while understanding algebra and geometry at the high school level does not mean someone understands the nuances of a multi-million budget with restricted and unrestricted dollars or the management of a facilities bond, we are hopeful Dalton will have an awareness that someone with a different discipline would not likely have.

And while it can be difficult to have a full-time job and be an elected official, Dalton has proved that she is up to the task. She has been attending LTCC board meetings for most of this year, so she understands the time commitment, the amount of reading involved and the demands beyond the meetings.

The board and college as a whole will benefit from Dalton’s leadership experience with other boards, as department chair at STHS and helping manage her husband’s construction business. While education is her primary background, her diverse interests and past will help her make decisions as a college board trustee.

We agree with her when she says the main priorities of the board should be:

·       Hire a competent superintendent/president

·       Fulfill the improvements stated in Measure F

·       Work within the budget.

While her opponent, Dave Hamilton, has impressive credentials and is passionate about the college, as a former instructor he also has baggage that we don’t believe would be conducive for making a harmonious board.