School Board Candidate: Benjamin Figueroa

There are in November elections.

Follow Patch as we get to know the candidates.

First up: Benjamin Figueroa

Figueroa has never before served on School Board, but he's an active volunteer with the schools and community. He served as the vice president and president of Tiger and Football Booster Clubs respectively.

Other highlights include: AYSO board member and coach, Measure S Citizen Oversight Committee member, PTA Treasurer, Marengo science fair coordinator, Tournament of Roses volunteer and Vecinos de South Pasadena member. Last but not least, he's a proud Girl Scout dad.

Why he's running for school board:

I am running for the school board, because I have the right professional experience and the tradition of volunteering in our community that can be of great assistance to our schools at this time of declining resources and greater requirements.

For the last 20 years, I have accumulated professional experience working in university settings in various financial capacities. I have worked for the Chancellor of the California State University for over a decade managing bond financing programs and public/private projects. This required managing the financial planning and bond issuance for new university construction related to academic buildings, student unions, student housing, and parking structures. It also included managing future arbitrage requirements and related earnings held in trust during construction. I also had the opportunity to work at the campus level at Cal State Los Angeles in various financial positions, including having oversight for property development of campus assets. I also served as a lead facilitator on the design and construction of the City (LAPD), County (Sheriff), University (Cal State Los Angeles, and State Crime Laboratory on campus. Currently, I am the Special Assistant to the Academic Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles. 

Most recently, I took a three-year hiatus from the university when I was recruited to oversee the research enterprise at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles consisting of more than $100 million in annual revenues and managing over 75 personnel in support of bench, community, and clinical research. Prior to working in higher education, I was fortunate to accumulate legislative and budget experience working for the County Board of Supervisors and the County Chief Administrative Office.

I believe that my accumulation of public service in a university setting, in multiple financial areas, can serve as a resource to our schools in providing leadership during these difficult times financial times.      

Check back later today for interviews with incumbents Joe Loo and Richard Sonner.