Desert Education Fund

Support Strong Leadership for College of the Desert.
It means greater opportunities for COD students

support smart leadership for smart progress

The Desert Education Fund has been founded to support the best quality COD leaders who will see to it that the promises of the West Valley and Cathedral City campuses are fulfilled.

In the COD Desert Community College District Trustee elections this November, the candidates who are head and shoulders above the rest are Mary Jane Sanchez, Trustee Area 2; Ron Oden, Trustee Area 3; and Dr. Bonnie Stefan, Trustee Area 4

support smart Growth for the future of COD

For over sixty years, College of the Desert has been a powerful resource in the Coachella Valley.

Beyond educating over 10,000 students annually, COD is a productive partner in the Coachella Valley’s local economy and enhances our Valley’s quality of life.

Coachella Valley residents have a history of supporting COD. Over the past twenty years, Valley voters have approved $967 million in bonds to expand and improve education opportunities for our Desert communities. The most current projects include a new COD campus in Indio, a soon to be built West Valley campus in Palm Springs and an Auto-Tech school in Cathedral City.

Ron Oden

For more information about COD Trustee Ron Oden, please visit his campaign website www.RonOdenforCOD.com

On May 19, 2023, Ron Oden was unanimously appointed to the College of the Desert Board of Trustees, Area 3 to fill an existing vacancy.

In the short time that Ron has been on the Board he has utilized his leadership skills to help get the COD West Valley Campus back on tract and set for a November groundbreaking. He has also helped to reinstate the planned Cathedral City Automotive Tech Campus.

Ron’s three decades’ experience as a COD professor, combined with his extensive government and legislative experience as Mayor and Council Member of the City of Palm Springs are essential elements to his success as a Trustee. Ron Oden is an invaluable candidate for election to the COD Board of Trustees, Area 3.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Our campaign needs your support. Your contribution will play a major role in our success.

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Dr. Bonnie Stefan

For more information about COD Trustee Dr. Bonnie Stefan, please visit her campaign website www.DrStefan4COD.com

Dr. Bonnie Stefan has served honorably as a College of the Desert (COD) Board of Trustee since 1999, one of the college’s longest serving board members.

Supporting COD’s diverse student body has been Dr. Stefan’s focus. She voted to establish the COD Food Bank for food insecure students, enhance the Veterans Resource Center, and help establish the Dreamers Resource Center, Gender and Sexual Diversity Pride Center, Black Student Success Center, Foster Youth Center and the Berger Faculty Innovation Center at COD. Dr. Stefan also voted for California Indian Nations College to begin its process of full accreditation through a collaboration with COD.

Students win with Dr. Bonnie Stefan

Mary Jane Sanchez

For more information about Mary Jane Sanchez, please visit her campaign website www.MaryJane4COD.com

A daughter of immigrants and a first-generation college graduate, Mary Jane Sanchez served honorably as a College of the Desert (COD) Trustee from 2012 to 2020 and seeks to return to the Board in the upcoming election.

As a former COD trustee, Mary Jane voters approve a $578 million education bond to build COD’s West Valley Campus for the underserved students and workers in Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, Cathedral City and Palm Springs. Mary Jane also voted to double the size of COD’s new East Valley Campus in Indio.

During Mary Jane’s tenure on COD’s Board of Trustees, COD became the fastest growing community college in California, had record breaking graduation rates, and earned national and state awards and nominations for academic excellence including the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and the winner of the prestigious Bellwether Award.