Impact on Students and Communities
Peralta 2023-24 Student Trustees Natasha Masand and Naomi Vasquez endorsing Nicky
“When first elected into the student trustee roles, we were lost and confused about how to do the job. But Nicky reached out to meet with us and asked us what we wanted to accomplish. He then offered mentoring and support for our goals, provided background and orientation, connected us to resources and networks, and otherwise gave us a real boost in our ability to advocate for students. His main message was ‘build a pipeline of student leaders’ and ‘ask for more!’ Nicky is a genuine champion of student empowerment.”
— NATASHA MASAND & NAOMI VASQUEZ, 2023-24 Peralta Student Trustees
“As the president of the statewide Faculty Association of the California Community Colleges I know Nicky's work very well. Nicky is one of those rare colleagues who has vision and the ability to inspire his community to take action for the greater good. He brings together students, faculty, staff and administrators all into one big tent to fight for a community college system that works for everyone and serves our communities. As he likes to quote, "We all do better, when we all do better." He weaves this mantra into everything he does as a leader.”
— Debbie Klein,
Debbie is the immediate Past-President of the Faculty Association of the California Community Colleges, and an Anthropology Instructor at Gavalon Community College
Aimee is President and Founder of She the People, a national network of women of color — voters, organizers, movement builders, elected leaders -- transforming our democracy.
“Nicky has been a leader for racial and social justice for decades. His first job out of college was transcribing depositions in the civil suit against the Chicago Police Department for the murder of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. At UC Berkeley he was arrested in the Dean's office to integrate the law school's faculty. He fought for poor families and children of color at Legal Aid and then at Marin Fair Housing and then at the Asian Law Caucus. And for three decades as a teacher and leader in California's community colleges he has taught and mentored thousands of students of color and allies in core anti-racist principles. A lifetime of work has prepared him to be the right person to lead in this moment.”
—Aimee Allison
“Nicky has the uncommon ability to synthesize complex and interrelated academic, economic, and social issues, and then do the hard work to collaboratively implement viable solutions that meet the needs of our students. For example, Nicky has consistently pushed for bigger investments to expand enrollment. He has championed a “growth mindset” when it comes to meeting the fiscal challenges of the district as well as the educational needs of our students. And he does it all with a spirit of optimism and graciousness which brings people together and fosters engagement, which is so critical for Peralta at this time. Nicky is the right person at the right time, as he has been for 20 years!”
Lowell Bennett
Lowell serves on the Merritt College and Peralta District Academic Senates, is a former Managing Director and Global Investment Strategist, and holds a Merritt College Certificate of Achievement in Optical Microscopy.
Adrienne is an Associate Dean of Equity at De Anza College; and is also a former student of Nicky’s
“I have real gratitude for the way Nicky's teaching and leadership modeled respect, compassion and warmth to me as a Black student even two decades ago. I learned so much about equitable teaching practices and how to engage students in their own learning. I saw him raise up students to lead each other and then model for them how leaders could care for and support other leaders. All this to say, that I'm very grateful for all the ways that I was exposed to non-traditional, equitable and culturally appreciative education.”
— Adrienne Hypolite
Gabriel is the chair of the Berkeley City College Counseling Department and the faculty advisor for the Berkeley City College Undocumented Community Resource Center
“As the chair of the counseling department at Berkeley City College I have been very appreciative of how Nicky has supported our students, and in particular those being served by our Undocumented Community Resource Center. As a board member he worked with college and district leaders to seek out funds to support these students, but more important, he has worked with these vulnerable students to find a voice for themselves. It is rare to find elected officials so in touch with the constituents they serve and willing and eager to make their voices and perspectives central to institutional decision-making.”
— Gabriel Martinez
Terrence was the president of the District Wide Peralta Classified Senate and is now the vice president of Peralta’s local SEIU 1021 chapter. When not leading and representing Peralta’s staff workers, Terrence co-runs the day-to-day operations of the Laney College James Oliver Community Writing Center .
“I have always found Nicky very approachable and, most importantly, willing to give his time. He is always receptive to meeting with classified workers and hearing their concerns. Nicky has consistently fought to include classified employees and students in the decision-making process at Peralta, sincerely believing the District will arrive at better answers by giving the aforementioned groups a “seat at the table.””
—Terrence Fischer
“When we were fighting to protect vulnerable Oakland Chinatown and Eastlake businesses and tenants from being displaced, Nicky was one of our strongest allies on the Peralta Board. He listened carefully, did his homework, and then fought valiantly to make sure Peralta did not hand over their land to a professional sports team and private developers.”
— Lailan Huen
Lailan is a Chinatown advocate and educator for the Oakland Public Schools
Shiloh was the Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition; and is also a former student of Nicky’s
“Promoting environmental justice and environmental sustainability has been at the core of Nicky’s work for decades- as a trustee, community organizer and educator. He integrates these themes into virtually every class he teaches at De Anza, even as he works to integrate them into Peralta’s policies and practices. I try hard to center racial justice as a core principle in all of my work as an environmental leader at the Bicycle Coalition, the League of Conservation Voters, and elsewhere. I owe much of this perspective to the foundational education I received from instructors like Nicky and to our ongoing conversations in the many years since.”
— Shiloh Ballard
Leila is the Executive Director of Beloved Communities Network based in Oakland, CA; she is also a former student of Nicky’s
“The San Jose minimum wage campaign was literally kickstarted by students like me who received a significant part of our training from Nicky and other instructors at De Anza College. Raising the San Jose minimum wage in 2012 meant we helped 40,000 families get a $4000 raise and inspired the nation that yes, we can win on this issue! We then got to work with Raise the Wage East Bay!”
— Leila McCabe
Calvin is an instructor at De Anza College and is the Vice President of Social Impact for Think Common Entertainment
"My principal work is building creative cultural campaigns with youth and communities of color throughout the Bay Area and the state. I've worked with Nicky for years to do just that as a trainer empowering new leaders in our community. He is exactly the kind of elected official we want overseeing our community colleges- thoughtful, grounded, compassionate and inclusive.”
— Calvin Williams
“Nicky's work in the community college system has contributed a whole generation of community leaders who rose through student leadership. You can literally point to whole institutions in the Bay Area that are being shaped by some of his former students.
We learned that taking ourselves seriously and making a positive difference means focusing on real impacts and being accountable to the well-being of real people in our everyday lives.
He models a different way of being with students, and a different way of being a leader. I’m a better teacher and outspoken citizen because of Nicky.”
— Jack Lin
Jack is Middle School Teacher; and is also a former student of Nicky’s
Kimberly was the co-director of the Laney College Umoja program whose mission is to serve as a critical resource for enhancing the cultural and educational experiences of African, African American and other students; former Vice President of the Peralta Federation of Teachers; and psychology instructor at Laney College.
“I've seen Nicky's work as board member, teacher and community leader. There is no one on the Peralta Board with a stronger record of fighting to eliminate racism and expand social justice. As the Laney College Umoja co-director, I regularly bring my Laney College students to participate in and help lead the annual social justice and civic engagement training program Nicky founded at De Anza College decades ago. I love the way he raises up their work and lets them shine.”
—Kimberly king
"Nicky is not only a leader at Peralta, he comes from the labor movement. And to come from the labor movement means to be of service to others, not just to oneself. He understands the real value of classified professionals at Peralta and recognizes that we've always been essential workers. He knows that classified workers have the best understanding of what's working and what's not, and respects that we have the knowledge and expertise to make things better."
—Richard Thoele
When he is not working in Peralta’s Admissions and Records Office, Richard represents all of Peralta’s classified workers as the Peralta Chapter President of SEIU 1021.
Jesse is the Mayor of the City of Berkeley
“For 15 years Nicky has faithfully represented real East Bay values on the Peralta Board-- ‘Students first! Honor Labor and the working people who educate and serve these students. Protect and promote the most vulnerable among us. Serve the community.’ Nicky's work is a model of effective elected representation.”