Lori Cardoza Runs for COS Trustee Ward 4 Seat

Ayla Ozturk, Campus Features Writer

November 4, 2024

Lori Cardoza, the incumbent member, is running for reelection to represent College of the Sequoias (COS) Ward 4.

Cardoza has been a member of the College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees since 2003. This is the first election in which she has an opponent, Connie Diaz.

“I am running for reelection so that I can support students,” Cardoza says. “COS did so much for me, and I’ve just been so thankful to be part of all of this.”

A first-generation college student, Cardoza attended COS and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

“Both of my parents were immigrants from the Azores, and so neither one had gone to college. So, when I was in high school, I had friends that talked about going to college, but my parents never really pushed it,” she says. “But they never told me not to go, right?”

As a board member, Cardoza works to keep COS strong in its finances.

“My main job is to make sure the college stays fiscally stable, and that’s been a really important role that I know I take very seriously,” she says.

Cardoza currently serves as the Board Clerk. She has served as the President and Vice President as well.

Cardoza was a leader on Measure J, an initiative to construct the Tulare campus in 2008.

“It was an initiative that I truly took on and enjoyed, because the taxpayers see what happened and what we did with their money, and that this campus is providing so much opportunity,” she says.

The measure was approved by voters in the Tulare-Lindsay-Corcoran area on Nov. 4, 2008.

While she has not initiated a new policy, Cardoza has advocated for the improvement and continuation of various policies.

“The policies included keeping a strong reserve, making sure that our budget has enough money for when the state buckles down, things get tight, or we lose a grant,” she says. “The board] can make sure that we don’t have to cut classes, don’t have to let any teachers go, and that the college can stay fiscally strong.”

Priorities

Cardoza stated that if reelected, her priorities would be the following:

Keep COS fiscally sound

“If I’m elected, my main priority is to keep us fiscally sound, because I think we’re going to get into some budget crunches with the state of our state budget. Now, I think we’re in a deficit, and I think it’s going to affect us no matter what, but I’m proud to say we have a reserve.”

The University Center in Visalia

“I’d like to see the university center built and make sure that that comes to fruition,” Cardoza says. “The bond [has] already passed, so that’s going to happen.”

The Career Technical Education (CTE) Center in Tulare

“[The CTE Center] is another dream come true, is going to be an amazing part of [Tulare’s] campus. At the end of January [2025], we’ll cut the ribbon on [it],” Cardoza says. “That’s going to be something that’s so special to me because I’ve got to see that finished.”

State compliance and serving students

“Just making sure that the college stays up to date with all the initiatives going on [and] with the governor, that we follow the rules that we’re supposed to, [and] making sure that we’re serving our students to the best we can,” Cardoza says.