Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the Fall Edition of the Monitor! I hope this missive finds you and your families well as we move into the holiday season.
As we prepare to usher in 2026 I want to give a nod to a couple of the Executive Board’s accomplishments this year and to those who worked to achieve them. You may recall that one of the goals from the Executive Board’s long-range planning was to improve ways in which we communicate with the membership. Sandy Hajas, Carmen Guerrero and David Magallanes developed a new website for the Association, and members of the Executive Board assisted with the testing to refine the functionality and content. The result is an attractive and user-friendly new website that provides us with ways to communicate current information like benefits updates and pictures and provides members with the ability to make online payment for dues and donations. It also provides a secure area, accessible by password only, where we can share confidential information with the membership. This same team also established the VCCCDRA Facebook Group, which is a members-only Facebook page that provides yet another way for us to stay connected with one another and the Association news. Your Executive Board members volunteer their time and efforts to projects like these in addition to carrying out their regular responsibilities for the Executive Board and the Association. I hope you will take a moment to check out the website if you haven’t already done so, to join the Facebook group if so inclined, and to thank your Board members for their work on the Association’s behalf!
Our Fall Social Event was held on October 30th at the Oxnard College Bistro, and I have to say that it was one of the most enjoyable social events that I have attended. First and foremost, we were welcomed and treated to an excellent lunch by Chef Dan Ceco and his Culinary Arts students. We also had the opportunity to honor OC’s 50th Anniversary in a very special way, by recognizing and thanking six of the college’s founding faculty members who were in attendance. Please read Marie Son Hoo’s article on the event in this edition, and check out the website for some great pictures, at https://vcccdra.org/oc-bistro-2025/
Chad and I will spend the next few weeks trying to figure out where to put a Christmas tree in the midst of a major downstairs remodeling project. Here’s hoping your holidays are a bit less crazy than ours will be!
Happy Holidays!
Susan Bricker, President
Ventura County Community College District Retirees Association (VCCCDRA)
Retired (February 2015); Dean, Career and Technical Education, Oxnard College (2008-2015); Professor, Business, Oxnard College (1992-2008); Adjunct Professor, Business, Business Information Systems, Moorpark and Ventura Colleges (1976-1992); Intermediate Steno-Secretary, Moorpark and Ventura Colleges (1970-1974).