Terms of 3 COD Trustees Expire in November

One of 3 COD Trustees Confirms Plan to Seek Reelection

PALM DESERT — The seats of three COD Trustees— Area 5 Trustee Bonnie Stefan, Area 2 Trustee Bea Gonzalez, and Area 3 Trustee Ron Oden — are up for grabs in the November election.

Uken Report reached out in numerous ways to all three to inquire as to whether they will seek reelection. Only Oden responded and emphatically.

“Yes! I will be running to maintain my seat for District 3,” Oen said. “I’ve invested too much not to continue my service.”

Oden won unanimous support in May when he was appointed in May to fulfill the unexpired term of Fred Jandt, who resigned for health reasons. Oden was one of six qualified candidates and one of four to be interviewed.

Stefan, who is currently serving as chair, could not be reached for comment. She did not respond to emails sent to her COD account. She has served on the Board of Trustees for Desert Community College District Area 5 since 1999.

Gonzalez, in her first term, did not respond to phone messages left at her home and did not respond to emails sent to her COD account. The embattled trustee was first elected to the board in 2020.

At one point during the past year, some of her opponents discussed a recall effort. Deciding it was too costly, they purchased a high-profile billboard instead. The billboard, paid for by Promises Made, Promises Broken, a self-described “watchdog group,” chastised Gonzalez for turning her back on students.

The $1,375.00 billboard of was erected in response to Gonzalez’s vote in February against the Palm Springs campus.

Opponents will most likely use her votes against her should she decide to seek reelection.