Vote : Diane Lamkin

My name is Diane Lamkin. I am a retired community college educator with 42 years of professional experience and a passionate advocate for California Community Colleges. This November, 2026, I am again running for the Board of Trustees of the West Valley-Mission Community College District, Area 5, for a 4-year term, I currently serve on the WVMC Trustee Board (since being elected in November, 2024).
I am a California native: a South Bay resident for 42 years, a graduate of UC Irvine (B.S. in Biological Sciences) and UC Berkeley (Ph.D. in Physiology), and first in my family to graduate from college. For 28 years I taught Human Anatomy and Physiology at Mission College. My students became nurses, doctors, physical therapists, and other healthcare providers. I loved being with them in the classroom and
laboratory.
My most important qualification for this position is my having been a full-time instructor (Biological Sciences) at Mission College for 28 years. I am committed to student success. I have taught rigorous and intensive Biology courses to hundreds of students, many of whom came to Mission College underprepared but determined to transcend their socioeconomic status by achieving a STEM degree. The
most important and valuable thing we can provide our students is a world-class education, along with the tools and supports to achieve that. While at Mission College, I served on numerous committees (faculty hiring committees, the curriculum committee, tenure committees, faculty and staff evaluation committees, accreditation committees, etc.).
 

• My goal as a Trustee is, and has been, to represent and promote the faculty and student perspective on the Board--- to provide the classroom experience necessary to address issues in our district. Student success in the classroom should be a priority.

• The Board of Trustees should aim to reduce bureaucracy and improve the success of ours tudents. A trustee should focus on providing high-quality educational programs that will set students up for academic success, making sure that teachers and staff have the resources they need to support students.

• Let's focus on the classroom. Let's create smaller class sizes, especially in laboratories, where one-on-one teaching is critical. Let'srespon to wait-lists by opening new sections quickly. Let's hire more instructors in high-demand fields. Let's explore establishing a bachelors degree in nursing at the Community College level, as well as other BS and BA degrees. Let's put our money where it will do the most good for our students.