Members of the EPCC Board of Trustees govern and oversee the community college district, which includes five campuses throughout the county. Trustees set the vision and goals for EPCC, oversee the president (who they can fire and hire), and adopt the annual tax rate and operating budget. This is an unpaid, nonpartisan position. EPCC enrolled about 25,600 students in fall 2024 and adopted a budget of $166.5 million for this fiscal year.
Who’s running for this seat?
Jesus Mendez, 63, is president of Winsupply West El Paso and EPCC District 4 trustee
Luther Marcena, did not respond
Eduardo A. Flores, 23, is an El Paso Community College employee
Candidate Questionnaires
Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 100 words. Responses have been lightly edited for grammar.
What is your short- and long-term vision for the El Paso Community College district, and how would you measure success?
Jesus Mendez: Short-term, EPCC district is to make sure that we continue to serve the greater El Paso community with high quality career and technical education as well as academic transfer programs. Long-term, EPCC district is to continue to meet the academic and workforce needs of our community. This will require our leadership team as well as the college faculty and staff to work with business and industry to make sure that the college is offering the programs that are in demand.
Luther Marcena: Did not respond.
Eduardo A. Flores: My short-term vision is to enhance student success by increasing enrollment and graduation rates in our programs. Strengthening partnerships with school districts, industries and organizations will expand student opportunities. Long-term, I envision EPCC as a leader in workforce development and bridging the unemployment gap in our community. Success will be measured through job placement rates, student achievement, and the college’s ability to adapt to the evolving needs of our community.
What experience do you have with overseeing budgets or setting and implementing policy?
Jesus Mendez: As a current business owner for over 35 years, I am hands-on and daily overseeing budgets, manage employees, ensuring quality customer service to meet expected goals that lead to a direct positive impact for a successful business.
Luther Marcena: Did not respond.
Eduardo A. Flores: As former EPCC Student Government Association president, I helped oversee the Campus Life Department’s budget, allocating funds for student organizations, scholarships and office operations. I also joined institutional committees, gaining insight into budget analysis to ensure accuracy and financial improvement. I also had the opportunity to work closely with the El Paso County Commissioner’s Court, observing budget and policy discussions. I’m also pursuing a master’s degree in public affairs.
What is your approach to balancing budget priorities, such as faculty pay, infrastructure, and student services?
Jesus Mendez: I have been through the college’s budgeting process and establishing priorities during the last year on the board. The college president and the vice president for finance and administration provide the board with several budget workshops and share the finances of the college as well as recommendations. The board then determines the salary enhancements based on recommendations by the administration. We approved a 4% salary enhancement for faculty and staff this past August, which went into effect in September. The college has implemented a deferred maintenance program to ensure that we are keeping up with the infrastructure needs of the college district and has budgeted appropriately. The college leadership presents annually to the board on the projects that have been completed at each campus/site. The college vice-presidents meet with the college president and present their respective budget requests. They collectively determine the needs of each of the college’s divisions which are then presented to the board for final approval. This includes all Student Services’ requests.
Luther Marcena: Did not respond.
Eduardo A. Flores: We cannot allow the loss of our teachers, employees or students due to poor budget decisions. Bad decisions can cause disruption, pause or elimination of essential academic services. Salaries remain extremely low, ranging from part-time employees earning just $7.25-$9.67 an hour, including tutors, lab assistants and notetakers for students with disabilities, to full-time staff making only $28,863 per year, which makes it nearly impossible to sustain a decent living. Instead, we need to support our faculty and staff by advocating for fair wages, better resources and facilities, and the essential equipment to ensure they can effectively serve our students and community.
How can EPCC better align its programs with the needs of local employers and industries?
Jesus Mendez: The college has industry advisory committees for every career and technical program offered. These advisory committees provide valuable input directly to the program faculty. This process allows the college to adjust and modify curriculum as needed to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of local employers and industries. college leadership also sit on local and regional boards.
Luther Marcena: Did not respond.
Eduardo A. Flores: At EPCC’s Curriculum and Instructional Development office, I help review academic and technical programs that support economic growth. EPCC should focus on empowering local employers and industries by providing students with entrepreneurship programs, business development centers, and training in leadership and technical skills. We need job fairs and industry seminars to connect students with professionals, fostering collaboration, solving challenges, and preparing students for successful careers.
The post Q&A: El Paso Community College District 4 Trustee Candidates in May 3 Uniform Election appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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