A former Pasadena City College trustee wants back in — but this time, nobody is handing him the seat. Geoffrey Baum, a former PCC board president, has entered the November 2026 race for the Area 1 trustee seat, setting up a contest against La Cañada Flintridge city commissioner and PCC alumnus Francis Pollara.
Baum announced his candidacy for the seat, while Pollara had already declared his own run earlier in the year. According to Pasadena Now, Pollara launched his campaign for the Board of Trustees Area 1 seat, setting up what the outlet described as a November 2026 race that already included the former board president. Area 1 covers La Cañada Flintridge along with the Linda Vista, San Rafael and Madison Heights neighborhoods of West Pasadena, and whoever wins joins the seven-member elected board that sets policy and approves the district budget.
A Seat Currently Up for Grabs
The seat is currently held by Sandra Chen Lau, who is finishing her second term, per the same Pasadena Now report. Chen Lau has not publicly announced whether she will seek a third term, leaving the field's final shape unsettled even as Baum and Pollara campaign for it. Pasadena City College serves students, and the Area 1 seat carries weight beyond its single district.
Baum has pointed to his experience with bond oversight, transfer pathways, workforce programs and fire recovery as assets he can bring back to the dais. He has said Pasadena City College changes lives and is needed by families, and he has pointed to timing as the reason he returned to the race.
The Eaton Fire Looms Over the Campaign
Baum has argued that after the Eaton Fire and years of rising costs, students and parents need an affordable, high-quality path to a degree, transfer or a good job. The fire began in Eaton Canyon on January 7, 2025, killed 19 people, destroyed more than 9,000 structures and burned about 14,000 acres — making it one of the most destructive wildfires in state history. The college has since begun training students in construction trades to support the rebuilding effort, an initiative Governor Newsom highlighted when he visited the college's Construction Trades Lab, which state officials describe as providing earn-and-learn opportunities through hands-on training and industry-recognized skills.
Baum has written that the college must pursue its workforce response with urgency, and he has argued his state funding and policy connections could bring resources to foothill communities still recovering from the fire. He also supports protecting transfer pathways to the University of California and California State University systems, has prioritized keeping textbooks affordable for families weighing college costs, and has pointed to zero-textbook-cost degrees he worked on at the state level. On artificial intelligence, Baum has said PCC should set clear standards for faculty and student use of the technology.
Pollara Pitches Fiscal Stability and Workforce Pathways
Pollara, a Pasadena resident and PCC graduate, has worked in infrastructure development and public-private partnerships, according to ColoradoBoulevard.net. He told the Daily News in a candidate questionnaire that the two greatest needs of PCC are protecting its financial strength and affordability while preparing students for a rapidly changing future of work. Artificial intelligence is also a topic in education; Pollara has called for stronger industry partnerships, apprenticeships, career-connected learning and relationships with top four-year universities.
On student housing, the outlet reports Pollara favors making it a PCC priority but would take a fundamentally different approach than Long Beach, opposing a taxpayer-financed bond nearing a billion dollars. He has instead proposed that PCC partner with organizations that specialize in affordable housing development rather than becoming a developer and operator itself. His campaign website lists fiscal stability, workforce development and stronger links between academic programs and student career opportunities among his core priorities.
Pollara currently chairs the City of La Cañada Flintridge Sustainability and Resilience Commission and serves as vice chair of the City Design Commission, and he reported holding no other political positions in his Daily News questionnaire. He joined the board of directors of the YMCA of the Foothills in May 2024. Separately, the PCC Faculty Association Executive Board has endorsed Pollara for Area 1 alongside candidates in three other trustee areas, saying its endorsed slate demonstrated commitments to faculty engagement, student success, responsible stewardship and transparent decision-making.
A Different Administration Awaits the Winner
Whoever wins would be joining a district that has changed considerably since Baum last held office. José A. Gómez is PCC's president, meaning a returning trustee would work alongside an administration largely assembled since Baum's departure from the board. The college also marked its 100th commencement in June 2026, a milestone underscoring the institution's long history even as it navigates fire recovery and workforce shifts.
If the election calendar holds, Area 1 voters will decide between the two candidates in November, choosing between a veteran of the district's governance past and a current city commissioner pitching himself as a fresh voice on fiscal and workforce issues.
