Mariana Pacheco enters race for Cerritos College board
DOWNEY — Marianna Pacheco, director of nursing at Downey Adult School, has announced that she will run for Cerritos College Board of Trustees Area 1.
“I’m already in education…I already try and help the students start off their career after they finish high school so they can pursue something,” said Pacheco. “I want to be able to do more for our students, and be able to do more for maybe the high school students, or seeing what other sort of articulation agreements we can do, and how we can partner better.”
Pacheco has been a registered nurse for over 40 years. She worked for the county for 34 years, and was the clinical director at LACUSC for its clinics and employee health services.
Pacheco is a familiar face in Downey, having been a former president of Kiwanis. She is also a member of the Elks Club, as well as Downey Community Emergency Response Team.
She currently has the endorsements of State Assembly member Cristina Garcia, Downey council members Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Frometa, Rick Rodriguez and Alex Saab, and Downey Unified Board member Martha Sodetani, although she says she hasn’t finished reaching out to others.
Pacheco – of course – also has the support of her daughter, current Downey Mayor Blanca Pacheco.
She says she brings a “new perspective.”
“I really have an interest in, ‘How do we create better partnerships,’ ‘How do we create better industry involvement,’” said Pacheco. “I’m involved in SkillsUSA, so I’ve learned a lot about how to involve the private sector, and how do we get those students into the private sector and have the skills necessary to – as soon as they get out of school – to be able to get a job and perform.”
“I think bringing all those qualities into play and knowing what I know in regards to education, I think would be an important factor as to why I want to run and why it would be important to me.”
If elected, she says one of the first challenges she would look to tackle would be recovery from the effects of COVID-19, including bringing students back to campus.
“If elected, [my priority] is looking at what sort of protocols, what sort of things do we need to put in place to safely bring students back onto campus and to safely bring the staff.”
Pacheco says that she hopes constituents understand how important it is to her to “give back.”
“To me, education is extremely important, and it’s pivotal that we are all afforded that ability,” said Pacheco. “You can’t imagine how your doors will open up just by getting an education and expanding your horizons. I just want to help.”
Pacheco can be found on Facebook and Instagram, and has a website in development.