Local Roots. State Results.

Deborah Ortiz is a lifelong resident of Sacramento. Her grandparents came to Sacramento in the 1930s. Her family moved from working in the fields, then to the canneries and eventually to State service. Deborah has led a life of public service focusing on health and education.

As a State Senator, I authored the historical Cal Grant Scholarship Program that has enabled hundreds of thousands of Californians to afford college – many, like myself, were the first in their families to attend college.

As President of Board of Trustees,I am leading efforts to expand our highly successful high school dual enrollment program and expand our healthcare and construction trades workforce programs. These two year programs enable so many in our region to find their way to stable careers, provide for their families and find their way to the economic stability.

I was honored to work with our former legislator to secure $5 million from the state budget for our highly successful Refugee Careers Pathway grant that helped many refugees transfer their home skills into credentials and stable pathways to success.

I am proud of the incredible student wellness programs that we offer at all our colleges; we provide mental and medical health services. Our counseling and mental health services are culturally competent and reflect the culture and languages of the students we serve.

We understand our students needs are many — food, shelter, transportation, childcare services. I serve on our Los Rios Foundation Board as we raise millions of dollars for our Los Rios Student Emergency Fund that help our students facing unexpected crises that could derail their education. Our Los Rios Cares Program ensures we have food pantries at each college and provides hotel emergency assistance.

As the 2nd largest community college district in California and one of largest multi-college districts in the nation, we serve 90,000 students. Unlike other districts, our enrollment is growing steadily. We have positive reputation and are well respected for our financial stability and our stable, engaged and respectful governing board relations. We remain focused as a team to make students the focus of all our work.

With the departure of two long-serving board members and our remaining, relatively newer serving members, I bring the stability, local and state governance experience and deep policy understanding to ensure our students and district continue to thrive.

I look forward to successful passage of our upcoming facilities modernization bond and to support our new Chancellor in the upcoming four years if I am reelected in November. Please join me in this campaign!

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