WEST COUNTY FORUM

Thursday, November 13

The West County Forum is excited to have Betty Yee as our upcoming speaker on November 13th. Yee is the former California State Controller, and she is currently a candidate to be Governor of California. She holds a leadership position within the state Democratic Party, was a member of the California State Board of Equalization and has experience as a Fellow at the USC Center for the Political Future.

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Betty Yee

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UPCOMING SPEAKERS

Mark your calendars for some more exciting West County Forums coming up!
December 11 Desiree Heveroh – Keeper of Richmond’s History/Homegrown Rosie

DO YOU HAVE ANY FORUM SPEAKER/TOPIC IDEAS? IF SO, PLEASE SUBMIT THEM TO RUTHIE ABELSON OLIVAS (CONTACT INFO ABOVE).

Information about the West County Forum

Forum Officers
Cristina Perez-Abelson, President. Vera Rowsey, Vice President. Ruthie Abelson Olivas, Secretary. Tiffany Harris, Co-Treasurer. Joy Okpa, Co-Treasurer. Jim Cowen, Board Member. Anita Mermel, Board Member. Rolanda Wilson, Board Member.

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Ruthie Abelson Olivas

West County Forum Secretary

We were lucky to have Contra Costa College (CCC) President, Dr. Kimberly Rogers, as our guest speaker in October. She provided a lot of very interesting information about our local community college to include their various vocational certificate programs, online and hybrid learning options, and an opportunity for full time students to attend for free. Dr. Rogers also shared how CCC has a clothing closet, free food pantry, and a Philanthropic Foundation Program which gives life-altering scholarships for students.

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Contra Costa College Foundation Scholarship

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Ruthie Abelson Olivas

West County Forum Secretary

Thursday, October 9

We are excited to have Kimberly Rogers, President of Contra Costa College, as our upcoming guest speaker on October 9. She will be discussing Contra Costa College: Connecting Students, Creating Community Vibrancy. Dr Rogers is the fifteenth permanent president of the college. She has a wealth of experience as well as degrees from Harvard, Penn State and the University of South Carolina.

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Contra Costa College

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Mark your calendars for some more exciting West County Forums coming up!

November 13 Betty Yee – Former Controller, State of California / 2026 CA Gubernatorial Candidate

December 11 Desiree Heveroh – Keeper of Richmond’s History / Homegrown Rosie

DO YOU HAVE ANY FORUM SPEAKER/TOPIC IDEAS? IF SO, PLEASE SUBMIT THEM TO RUTHIE ABELSON OLIVAS (CONTACT INFO ABOVE).

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Ruthie Abelson Olivas

West County Forum Secretary

The West County Forum was delighted to have Cheryl Cotton, newly selected West Contra Costa Unified School District Superintendent, as our guest speak in September. This “homegrown” leader is focused on listening and learning through her “listening sessions” with the community, including with students. Additionally, Cotton is ready to address the challenging fiscal times ahead and is working on a fiscal stability plan. We look forward to having Superintendent Cotton return at a later date with updates on her success.

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Ruthie Abelson Olivas

West County Forum Secretary