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Incumbent Ward 4 Trustee Andy Li has announced that he is seeking re-election to an additional term this November, as the San Ramon resident heads into the final months of his first term on the Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board.
“In the past four years, as a community college trustee, I have always put our students’ success as my highest priority and helped ensure the good stewardship of district money,” Li said on Facebook last week.
No other candidates have emerged so far to challenge Li’s incumbency this year. The candidacy filing period for Contra Costa County is open through Aug. 12.
“Having been born and raised in one of the poorest communities of a large city in China, I immigrated to (the) United States with only $500 to my name,” Li said on his campaign page. “I understand the financial challenges that many families face. As a member of the Governing Board, I committed myself to ensure community colleges stay as affordable and accessible as possible.”
If re-elected, Li said he will continue his work promoting online education and dual enrollment in community colleges for local high school students, as well as working toward making textbooks free for district students.
Although closing out his first term as an elected official, Li has been a prominent figure in many of San Ramon Valley’s nonprofits. He became a board member of Danville-based Discovery Counseling Center this year and has been on the board for Leadership San Ramon Valley since 2016.
“Lead by serving is my motto,” Li continued on his campaign page. “Because of my years of service to the community and leadership, I was awarded API of the Year by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan in 2020. I am proud of my community service history in several local nonprofit organizations, as well as committees, for various government entities.”
Li served as the Governing Board’s president during a tumultuous year that saw then-chancellor Bryan Reece placed on administrative leave and then cleared to return to duty two weeks later, with Li and current Board President Judy Walters dissenting in the latter vote.
Trustees John Marquez, Fernando Sandoval and Rebecca Barrett voted in favor of returning Reece from leave, following numerous public comments in support of the former chancellor on Sept. 30.
Several months later, Marquez brought forth an effort to censure Li at the board’s Dec. 8 meeting for alleged Brown Act violations, but the motion failed to advance with the board voting 3-0 not to pursue formal censure against Li following a discussion that night.
Reece ultimately resigned from the district in February, after being placed on administrative leave a second time. The move came amidst litigation against the district that alleged the now-former chancellor had engaged in ethical and potential legal violations in his efforts to advocate for a $10 million contract for marketing services that was later rescinded by the district, and that he had sought to undermine investigations into the matter.
Li has served on the board since being elected in 2018, when he beat out former San Ramon mayor H. Abram Wilson in that year’s election for the seat – which was fully up for grabs with then-incumbent Gary Walker-Roberts declining to run.
In addition to Li, Ward 3 Trustee Barrett has announced a bid for re-election to her seat. Ward 1 Trustee Marquez has not yet publicly announced whether he will run for another term.
