John Black For College Board

I was the first person in my family to graduate from college, and it took me fifteen years to pay off the debt. A student in Area 4 today can skip those fifteen years, and most families here have never been told. I want to be the reason they hear it.

I served twenty-six years in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer, a weapons and tactics instructor, and an advisor to foreign security forces. I commanded the Security and Emergency Services Battalion at Camp Pendleton, 841 people running a police force, a fire department, a correctional facility, dispatch, and emergency management, with mutual aid alongside the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Oceanside Police, and the California Highway Patrol. I have led organizations as large as 3,400 people and managed a $2.21 billion foreign military sales portfolio.

I have taught since 2001. I was a National Security Fellow at MIT’s Security Studies Program, and I paid my own way through Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development.

The Marine Corps sent me to Camp Pendleton in 1997, and we were blessed to move to San Clemente in 1999. Military orders took us elsewhere for more than two decades. We came home to San Clemente in 2021. My wife is Dr. Aime Black.

One of seven

A trustee is one vote out of seven. Nothing here gets done alone, and nothing good gets done by someone who walks in already certain he has the answers. I led Marines for twenty-six years, and the lesson that stuck is that the fastest way to fail is to stop listening to people who know more than you do. I am Co-Chair of Orange County Braver Angels, where the entire premise is that people who disagree can still solve a problem together. The people I would serve with are colleagues, not subordinates. I know the difference.

Founder, Veterans FORWARD · CEO, The JASSD Group · Co-Chair, Orange County Braver Angels · Life member, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

MY COMMITMENTS

John Black’s Top Priorities

★

MISSION FIRST, PEOPLE ALWAYS

Twenty-six years leading Marines, and a college-level educator since 2001. I led organizations as large as 3,400 people and managed accounts up to $2.21 billion. I know how to understand complex issues and make hard decisions. I meet and honor people where they are.

★

EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS THAT LEAD TO CAREERS & HIGHER PAY

Career education should lead somewhere: to a good career, higher pay, or the next step in a student’s education. Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College should keep expanding pathways that connect certificates, two-year degrees, skilled trades, transfer programs, and employer needs. Whether a student is 18 or 48, our colleges should help people build practical skills, economic mobility, and a stronger future.

★

SAFE CAMPUSES

Safety is foundational; nothing else works without it. Students, faculty, and visitors deserve the highest level of safety on our campuses and in the areas around them. I commanded an 841-person unit with its own police force, fire department, and dispatch. I will work with law enforcement, not around them.

★

FISCAL DISCIPLINE & ACCOUNTABILITY

Fiscal discipline protects students, taxpayers, and the long-term strength of the district. I will insist on transparency, strict accountability for every dollar, protection of the district’s reserves, and aggressive action against fraudulent enrollment. Ghost students take seats, resources, and financial aid away from real students, and that should never be tolerated.

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ENDORSEMENTS FOR JOHN BLACK
By Leaders in the DistrictYoung KimCongresswoman, District 40
Tony StricklandState Senator, District 36
Kate SanchezAssembly Member, District 71
Diane DixonAssembly Member, District 72
Lisa A. Bartlett, MBATrustee, South Orange County Community College District, Area 3
Dr. Terri Whitt Rydell, EdD, RN, 
Professor of EducationTrustee, South Orange County Community College District, Area 4
John WilliamsFormer Trustee, South Orange County Community College District and AOCDS Hall of Fame
Tim ShawPresident, Orange County Board of Education, 4th District
Jorge Valdes, Esq.Vice President, Orange County Board of Education, 1st District
Ken L. Williams, Jr., D.O.Clerk, Orange County Board of Education, 3rd District
Mari BarkeTrustee, Orange County Board of Education, 2nd District
Lisa Sparks, Ph.D.Trustee, Orange County Board of Education, 5th District
Rick LoefflerMayor, City of San Clemente
Steve KnoblockMayor Pro Tem, City of San Clemente
Victor CabralCouncil Member, City of San Clemente
John GabbardMayor, City of Dana Point
Jamey FedericoCouncil Member, City of Dana Point, and 2026 Chair, Orange County Transportation Authority
L. Anthony “Tony” BeallMayor, City of Rancho Santa Margarita
This is a partial list of endorsements.

CONTACT

Get in touch.

We read everything. If you have a question about the district, a concern about a campus, or an idea worth hearing, send it.

john@johnblack4collegeboard.com

Support the campaign

This campaign is funded by neighbors and supporters. Give online at the red DONATE button above, or send checks payable to John Black for College Board 2026, FPPC ID# 1494646, C/O Lysa Ray, mailed to 3843 S. Bristol St. #604, Santa Ana, CA 92704.

JOHN BLACK

South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, Area 4 · Ballots mail October 5, 2026 · Election Day November 3, 2026

Paid for by John Black for College Board 2026 · FPPC ID# 1494646 · C/O Lysa Ray
3843 S Bristol St, Ste #604, Santa Ana, CA 92704-7426

Use of military rank, titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of War, or the U.S. Marine Corps.

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