Desiree Portillo Rabinov has been a resident of the Glendale and La Crescenta area for over thirty years. Since 2014, she has served as a member of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, where she has dedicated herself to issues of community engagement, access to the outdoors, active transit, and safe streets. A graduate of community college herself, she is a firm believer in the important role our community colleges play in making a quality and affordable education accessible to all. This was an opportunity for her to obtain her bachelor's degree in Business Administration in Pre-law without the financial burden. 

Born and raised in East Los Angeles, Desiree understands the unique cultural and economic needs of diverse communities, and how to ensure that underserved communities can have equal opportunities through the programs offered by our community colleges.

She has dedicated her life to advocacy and community service. In addition to her role on the Crescenta Valley Town Council, she is the current Vice President and a founding member of the National Women’s Political Caucus-Los Angeles Metro Chapter. Desiree also serves as Co-chair for the Advisory Board for the California Trust for Public Lands, as an Executive Cabinet Leader for United Way "Pathways Out of Poverty" program, as well as a finance committee member of the San Gabriel Valley Civic Alliance.

She was also a co-founder of Project Amiga, a non-profit organization in San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles dedicated to assisting young at-risk women, men and their families through bilingual and bicultural services in life skills education and vocational training over the past 19 years. She was recognized for her work in the Boyle Heights Community Beautification program for implementing pocket parks and community gardens. Early in her career, Desiree also served as the National President of the Comision Femenil Mexicana Nacional which works to provide scholarships to disadvantaged Latina students and housing for at-risk emancipated young women. She also served as a Legislative Analyst for the National Council of La Raza. 

               Desiree plans to bring her long track-record of advocacy and broad experience in the public and private sectors to the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees to help build an educational institution that offers the highest quality education and services to our community. 

I believe in the California Master plan for Higher Education that was designed and adopted in 1960 by former Governor Pat Brown, removing the tuition and admission fees to all residents.  I continue to support that the Community College role functions as a problem solver and is at the forefront of higher education to minimize cost and build inclusivity to career preparedness and community engagement, increase the average worker's income, and a key to social mobility and economic self-sufficiency.   The opportunities for success are offered by Community Colleges through vocation training programs, serving diverse communities, innovative course formats, and social services and programs that support student transfer to 4-year colleges and to attend apprenticeship programs.  My goal is to pursue and re-adopt for CSU and UC systems to follow suit in providing all four years with tuition-free student education.

Crescenta Valley Town Council President Harry Leon has lived in La Crescenta with his wife Maral Leon and two children since summer of 2003. Owner of a small plumbing firm, Harry was elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council in 2010 and has proudly served his community as president of the council since 2016. During his tenure, Harry has led campaigns to beautify Crescenta Valley, has brought student leaders into council meetings through the CV Youth Council program, and has unified his community through the Korean-Armenian Cultural Festival. A proven and trusted leader in his community,

Elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council in 2009

•             Vice-President of the Crescenta Valley Town Council 2014-2016

•             President of the Crescenta Valley Town Council 2017-present

•             Founder of the Crescenta Valley Youth Council

•             Los Angeles County Commissioner [Department of Consumer and Business Affairs]

•             Member of Glendale Community College’s Measure G Oversight Committee.

•             Chairperson of Glendale Unified School District’s Measure S Oversight Committee

•             Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Volunteer

•             Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Advisory Board

•             Former member of CV Drug and Alcohol Coalition.

•             Advisory board member for (HealWithin International) non- profit Organization to help motherless children

I am an immigrant to this country. I know firsthand the various struggles and challenges that befall our newly immigrated students. I was there, I was them once and I understand firsthand and fully the fundamental importance of a proper and quality education

One of the main reasons why I am running  is because I am a product of Glendale Community College and realize how valuable and critical the career and technical education and skilled labor training sectors are and the invaluable needs and services that they provide

Instruction and training in such technical and highly skilled labor in trades such as: construction, aviation, nursing, graphic design, computer coding, auto mechanics, technical training in the sciences in biology and chemistry, but even welding and plumbing etc. => These are skilled trades that we have a profound need and demand for in our society and communities.

I want to be the advocate for that particular student who is not on a two year then transfer to a four-year university track.

Although I respect that this “track system” is a vital aspect of the services that GCC provides to and prepares its students for, I also understand also the significance of supporting and empowering those students who will come here to learn and master the personal trades which will propel them to prosperous and successful careers and futures.

Not all students who find themselves here at GCC neither need to or want to transfer out to the private, UC or CSU university systems. Nor should they be made to feel or be shamed into that they should.

That is my story. That is how I was able to start my own business, grow it and be able to provide for and put food on my family’s table all of these years.

I see my purpose, in service to our students and GCC Faculty, Administration and Staff, as your trustee, as a driver that empowers or acts as the chief catalyst for change and progress here at GCC. I will make every effort to listen to and guide to the best of my ability all of our stakeholders here at GCC.

So that we can prepare and provide to our community a better, more proficient and enhanced set of well-trained professionals, ones who are fully prepared to deliver quality services and that GCC be best positioned to provide that instruction to these particular students, the ones who will be our future skilled or technically trained tradesmen and women.

I have a personal interest vested in seeing that all students, but these students in particular succeed, as I understand fully the kinds of challenges in their lives both personally and economically. They are a vulnerable set of students but full of potential just as well

I want to do whatever is within my power to alleviate that and at the very least provide them with the career and technical education and skills that they, just like I’ve benefited from, will be able to gain and translate into highly successful and respected careers and professions

This is my focus. This, apart from all of the other duties that I will have in serving in this capacity, is what I will devote my attention to and focus on as a primary driver during my time as your Trustee of Glendale Community College and I would appreciate your trust, support and your vote in the upcoming elections on March 3^rd.