Pasadena Mayor and Five Former Mayors Endorse Geoff Baum for PCC Board

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and five former mayors of Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge have endorsed Geoff Baum in his bid to return to the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees, his campaign said, as the race for the Trustee Area 1 seat enters its final week before the Nov. 3 election.

The five former mayors are Bill Bogaard and Chris Holden of Pasadena and Michael Davitt, Gregory Brown and Stephen Del Guercio of La Cañada Flintridge. 

The campaign also lists Holden as a former Assembly member. It said the six mayors, who come from both ends of the district, may not share a political party but agree on this election. The campaign noted the race is nonpartisan.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who has also endorsed Baum, joined the campaign Sunday at the Madison Heights home of Liz and Andy Wilson, the campaign said. Some of the campaign’s student volunteers also attended. The campaign said they have spent weekends knocking on doors with Baum across the district.

The campaign said Barger offered advice it has followed throughout the race: “Just do the right thing and the politics will work out for themselves.”

The campaign’s endorsement list also includes Councilmember Steve Madison, among others, as well as the Sierra Club, the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters and the Los Angeles County Taxpayers Association.

“I served 12 years on the PCC Board of Trustees and 12 years on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors,” Baum said in a campaign message. “I know what a trustee can do for students, and I am ready to go back to work for them.”

The campaign said it is spending its final seven days knocking on doors in La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena and calling voters to remind them to return their ballots. It said many voters are still making decisions about the election, “so every conversation counts.” Several supporters are also contacting friends and neighbors in the district, the campaign said.

According to the campaign, Trustee Area 1 includes La Cañada Flintridge and the Pasadena neighborhoods of Linda Vista, San Rafael, West Pasadena, downtown Pasadena and Madison Heights. The campaign listed Pasadena ZIP codes 91103, 91105 and 91106 and La Cañada Flintridge ZIP code 91011 for the district.

Geoffrey “Geoff” Baum’s campaign has made experience its central theme. He served three elected terms on the PCC Board, including two terms as Board president, before leaving the Board in 2013, according to his campaign. He also served 12 years on the statewide California Community Colleges Board of Governors, where his colleagues twice elected him president, the campaign said.

According to the campaign, his professional background includes broadcast journalism, higher education administration at the University of Southern California and Claremont McKenna College, and philanthropic leadership. He is a co-founding partner of Linda Vista Communications in Old Pasadena. His campaign lists degrees from Claremont McKenna College, the University of Southern California and Fordham University, including an MBA.

Baum and his wife, Lisa, have owned a home in the district for more than 30 years, according to the campaign. He is a former president of the West Pasadena Residents Association and has been involved in advocacy on the Arroyo Seco, historic neighborhoods and the future of the State Route 710 stub.

Baum’s campaign platform pledges financial oversight through transparent budgeting, responsible use of taxpayer funds and accountability for PCC’s voter-approved facilities bond investment.

On affordability and access, the campaign platform calls for lower textbook and materials costs, stronger transfer pathways to four-year universities, expanded high school dual enrollment and support for working adults, student parents and first-generation students.

The campaign platform also proposes workforce training aligned with regional employers, including in the skilled trades needed to rebuild after the Eaton Fire. On artificial intelligence, it calls for responsible faculty use and for preparing students for AI’s effects on employment and education.

On board governance, the campaign calls for greater collaboration among trustees, administrators, faculty and staff, with a stated focus on students rather than politics.