Kathleen Henry Runs to Represent California’s Assembly District 40

Dr. Kathleen “Katy” Henry has a strong connection to her community through volunteer service work in various organizations. Among them the Women’s Leadership Council of United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Kiwanis and the Economic Development & Corporate Training Foundation. Dr. Katy was elected to the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees in 2012 and selected by her peers to serve as vice president of the board in 2013. Dr. Katy has been an educator since 2001 and brings experience and perspective with a broad background in business, including the legal, utility, banking and healthcare fields. Her educational background includes an A.A. at Santa Rosa Junior College; B.S. at Southern Illinois University; an M.A. and a Ph.D from the Fielding Institute. As a university instructor in business law and ethics, as well as corporate social responsibility, Dr. Katy brings a fresh understanding to what both the educational community and business community needs to help our community thrive. As a community college board trustee, Dr. Katy has helped the district stabilize its finances; modernize classrooms; offer more classes than in recent years; and implement a local hire policy that keeps good job opportunities in our community. Her primary focus is on education and a return to pre-2009 funding and finding ways to increase career training to create a skilled workforce. She believes that education is intertwined with attracting diverse industry to the area by having a skilled workforce. Water is also a major focus, noting that while we are moving forward we must continue to find ways to increase conservation of water. Dr. Katy believes that her experience in business, as an educator, and from being deeply involved in her community has served her well on the Community College Board of Trustees. “These past two years have helped me understand very quickly how a lack of cohesion of stakeholders in various sectors can impact our District. I know that I can help continue the success we have had at my local college board level to Sacramento and back into our entire region,” she said.