Meet the Board of Trustees
Joshua Chancer, representing Area 1 was elected to our Board of Trustees in 2018 and has been a Ventura County resident for the majority of his life. He attended public schools from the elementary grades through his college and university career, including Ventura College in 1996.
Josh Chancer has 20 years of experience in public education, teaching English Language Arts, Social Science, Adult ESL. Currently, Josh is employed by the Oxnard Union High School District as a Social Science Teacher. He also served as an Adjunct Instructor at California Lutheran University, Graduate School of Education.
Josh received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science from San Diego State University in 2001, a California Teaching Credential from CSUCI in 2002, and a Master’s Degree in Education from National University. He was recognized as a Governor’s Teacher Fellow in 2001, and in 2009 was a recipient of the Pacific Teacher Innovation Network Award and Grant.
Trustee Dianne B. McKay, representing Area 2, was elected to the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees in 2010. She is president and owner of Mustang Marketing, the oldest and largest marketing firm in Ventura County.
Trustee McKay’s unique hybrid of expertise in business management and community outreach allows her to effectively help Mustang’s Southern California clients succeed, whether large national corporations or local nonprofits.
Trustee McKay’s business career started in 1982 in the telecommunications field, then in 1986 she and her father founded Strategic Television. After more than two decades in live broadcast television, managing some of the largest and most complex programs of that time, she switched focus to fundraising for education and nonprofit organizations before joining Mustang in 2010.
A resident of Thousand Oaks since 1972, she has received numerous awards for her dedication and work within the community. She has served on the Chico State College of Business Advisory Board, the Thousand Oaks Traffic and Transportation Commission, and various other local boards and committees, including 15 months as interim president of the local Boys & Girls Club.
Trustee McKay and her husband, Duncan, have four adult children.
Trustee McKay’s Community Involvement Includes:
- Community College League of California Advisory Committee, Education Services
- Community College League of California’s Strategic Leadership Program and League-On-Call services
- Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce—Board Member
- United Way—Board Member
- Family Justice Center— Board Member
- Safe Passage Youth Foundation— Board Member
- Conejo Schools Foundation— Board Member
- CLU Graduate School of Education Deans Council
- Thousand Oaks Library Foundation—Board Member
Trustee Stan Mantooth, representing Area 3, was elected to the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees in 2020.
Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, Stan Mantooth, has 45 years of experience in
K-12 school districts and the County Office of Education. Beginning in 1996, and until his appointment as County Superintendent of Schools in September 2008, Mr. Mantooth served as Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services with the Ventura County Office of Education. In 2010, 2014 and in 2018 he was elected to successive four year terms.
Mr. Mantooth’s specific areas of focus and expertise include financial systems and budget development, personnel administration, collective bargaining, facilities planning and administration, and risk management. Mr. Mantooth has shared his expertise while serving on a variety of statewide committees, including serving as past-President of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO).
Mr. Mantooth has served on a variety of local committees and commissions including First 5 Ventura County, the Ventura County P-20 Regional Council, the Ventura County Community Foundation, and the Ventura County School Boards Association.
Mr. Mantooth has a Bachelor’s degree from California State University Northridge and a Master’s degree in School Business Administration from Pepperdine University, and also holds a California Teaching Credential and a California Administrative Services Credential. He has been a Faculty Member/Lecturer at California State University Northridge, California State University Channel Islands and Pepperdine University.
Bernardo M. Perez, representing Area 4, joined the Board of Trustees in 2010. Previously, he represented his community on the Moorpark City Council, including serving as Mayor of the City of Moorpark. In addition, Trustee Perez currently holds positions with the Workforce Investment Board, the Moorpark Foundation for the Arts, and the Simi Valley Hospital Foundation. Since 1999, Trustee Perez has worked as the Project Manager for the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation in Ventura. He previously was employed with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for over 30 years.
Through the years, Trustee Perez has served his community with the Ventura County Civic Alliance, Clinicas del Camino Real, United Way of Ventura County, Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation, El Concilio del Condado de Ventura, Children’s Health Initiative Steering Committee, HOME Housing Task Force, Justice and Peace Commission, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Ventura County Living Wage Coalition (Co-Chair), the 2010 Ventura County Housing Conference Planning Committee, and he has assisted the Moorpark Unified School District as a classroom volunteer/reader.
Trustee Gabriela Torres, representing Area 5, was elected to the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees in 2018. She is committed to social justice issues and serving students. She is an Oxnard resident and an administrator for the Oxnard Elementary School District.
Azure Heirshberg is the 2022-23 VCCCD Student Trustee and represents the students of Moorpark College, Oxnard College, and Ventura College.
A chemistry major at Moorpark College, Student Trustee Heirshberg is also president of the Moorpark College Chemistry Club. As Student Trustee, his goals are to be the conduit between students and VCCCD Trustees, to collaborate with the colleges’ student government leadership, and to support student mental health services.
“It’s important for students to know I am here for them,” he said. As Student Trustee, he is dedicated to listening to students and sharing their concerns, comments and grievances at board meetings to provide Trustees with the student perspective.
He also supports efforts to remove barriers to students’ educational goals, especially through mental health services. As part of these efforts, he would like to see policy enacted that enables the colleges to provide sustainable mental health services to students.
One of the things that Student Trustee Heirshberg appreciates about his role is that “everyone is here for the students’ benefit” and that Trustees solicit and value his opinion. “I appreciate the trust they have in me,” he said.
Student Trustee Heirshberg plans to graduate May 2022 and transfer to UC Berkeley, where he will major in nuclear and chemical engineering. His career goal is to be an inventor and have his own business.
Student Trustee Heirshberg invites students to contact him at studenttrustee@vcccd.edu.