Peraza not to run for seat in 2016

Humberto Peraza, a former congressional aide appointed to the Southwestern College Governing Board during a period of intense turmoil, announced that he will step down at the end of his term.

“I’m not going to run for re-election,” Peraza said in an interview with The Sun. “I think we’ve had a really good run here, but I think it’s time to focus on my family, my kids, my wife.”

Peraza first joined the governing board in August 2011, replacing Nick Aguilar who stepped down due to poor health. When Peraza was sworn in the college was on probation and reeling from the scandal-ridden Chopra-Alioto years. Later in 2011 the San Diego County District Attorney began a series of raids of the homes and offices of former SWC officials in a sweeping corruption scandal.

Peraza joined a progressive coalition with trustees Norma Hernandez and Tim Nader that oversaw a transformation at the college. Accreditation was restored, 16 people with SWC connections pleaded guilty to felonies and misdemeanors, and a budget crisis was averted. Now, Peraza said, the college is on “solid footing” and he feels he can move on.

“I never intended to be a life-long or a career politician,” he said. “I got involved in politics because I wanted to help my community. Unfortunately, one of the things that people don’t always get to see is that you’re at all the events, you’re at everything and you are taking a lot of time away from your family. And I need to be there to watch my kids grow up. . . At the end of life, what’s more important? I’d rather be known as a good dad than a good politician.”

Peraza said announcing his decision 14 months prior to the 2016 election was for the benefit of the college.

“I want good candidates to run,” he said. “I care a lot about SWC and so I think this gives the opportunity for candidates to step up and start talking to people, rather than me holding out until the very end.”

Peraza has been an instrument of change during his tenure, pushing for greater accountability and communication between the board and the college community.

“I think the governing board’s transparency improved in the last few years,” said former faculty union president Eric Maag. “(Peraza is) always starting the dialogue and he asks a lot of questions. I don’t always agree with where he ends up, but I know that he’ll talk to me about it and argue with me and ask me for my viewpoint, and that’s really all you can ask for.”

Trustee Nora Vargas agreed.

“He’s going to be missed because he’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s always looking out for the students,” she said. “Overall I think it will be a loss for the college, but whatever his next phase is, I’m sure he will continue to be involved one way or another because he really cares about our community.”

Peraza said the issues facing the college board when he was appointed to the interim seat in 2011, during a corruption scandal, an accreditation report critical of the “toxic climate” of the college and a looming budget meltdown caused by former college officials.

“I feel like I was meant to be at certain spots at certain times,” he said. “I think that my role at this college was (to promote) transparency, more openness, working with the campus and the community.”

SWC is beginning a new cycle of accreditation this year in better condition than 2011, Peraza said, but there is still work to be done.

“When we get to start focusing back on education will be the moment that we climbed out of the mess that we were in,” he said.

In light of the corruption convictions against 12 former SWC officials and construction contractors, Peraza said he felt very strongly about campaign finance reform at the college. A tougher new policy was approved in 2012.

“I’m really proud of the campaign finance reform,” he said. “I think for a lot of the board members that was a difficult decision and I think to some extent a very courageous decision by them knowing that they weren’t going to be able to raise the amount of money that they had been accustomed to raising for elections. But I think it was necessary to do and it was necessary not only to show the campus, but the community as a whole, that we were making changes, we were reforming. And that meant reforming ourselves, too.”

Peraza praised fellow governing board members for their commitment to reforming the “climate of fear” that the college was reprimanded for in 2010 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

“I think this campus is better off because of this board,” he said.

He cited the passing of the Community Benefits Agreement aimed to ensure contracted jobs to local laborers, work on the reforms to the corner lot plans under Proposition R, and making the budget bigger and more transparent as achievements.

“We basically went in and changed the way we do business to be more transparent, to not allow what happened before to happen again.”

To its credit, the SWC governing board was able to implement these changes quickly, said Peraza, which helped restore the college’s credibility.

“The campus wanted more transparency,” he said. “The community wanted more transparency.”

Vargas said Peraza’s shoes will be hard to fill.

“I think it’s important to have someone who really cares about our students,” she said. “[Someone] who is willing to advocate to ensure that our students have the best opportunities possible. Somebody who is not afraid to ask questions and think outside the box, a champion of higher education and for our region and our community. That’s what we need to continue doing the work that we are doing.”

Maag said Peraza has made an admirable effort to understand how people view the college and its issues.

“I’m disappointed that he’s leaving,” he said. “I think he’s been a good governing board member for us. He’s one of the more vocal governing board members. He talks to a lot of people on campus and makes sure he gets different opinions so he can have a good understanding of what’s going on. He has a really good way of talking to a lot of different people. He’s very friendly and makes people feel comfortable, so I think he’s able to access a large group of people to get advice from and that’s a strong characteristic to have.”

Maag said he hoped Peraza’s replacement would have his level of dedication to the school.

“They’d have to be charming like Humberto,” he said. “Someone who puts the needs of the students first and helps this college be successful in our mission to provide a good education. Someone who has a strong vision and is able to communicate that to get people to work together towards those common goods. Someone who cares deeply about us.”

Peraza said elective office is not the only way to affect change.

“I also really believe that you can be involved in politics and have an impact on your community, and sometimes a bigger impact on your community, when you’re not an elected official,” he said. “So I am not going away, I’m just not planning on running for office. I’m passionate about activism and involvement in the community from residents and my neighbors. That is never going to stop. I’m always going to be involved.”

Peraza said leaving board will be hard.

“It grows on you and it becomes family,” he said. “That made this a much more difficult decision, but that’s what I’ll miss probably the most, the people on this campus.”

Peraza said he expects the college to continue to improve.

“I hope that the climate continues to get better on this campus,” he said. “I hope we find a way to bring people together on this campus, to work together to make this a better place for our students. In the end, we’re all here for one purpose and that is to make this a better campus for our students, to provide a great education, so that we can put people out into the workforce or go on to the university.”

He offered advice to his replacement.

“Don’t be afraid to ask the questions,” he said. “Be courageous. Stand up for what you believe in. Sometimes it’s not easy. People will criticize you for whatever decision you make, but stand up for what you believe in and you can’t really go wrong.”

Voting on values is something this board has done well, said Peraza.

“I sleep well at night,” he said.

Peraza is working on his Master’s degree in political science and is teaching a discussion course at SDSU. He is a businessman and a family man, he said.

“My focus is my business, school and family,” he said. “My family being number one. It was time to do that. After 18 years of working for electeds or being an elected, it was time to focus and watch my kids grow up and have the ability to be a good dad and a good husband, for that matter. This is part of my refocusing on what I think is most important in life and I think it’s family. Watching them grow up to be good adults and good members of our community. That is going to be the greatest thing I could possibly accomplish.”