Governing Board Clerk Deana Olivares-Lambert Elected to California Community Colleges Trustees board

Chaffey College Governing Board Clerk Deana Olivares-Lambert has been elected to the California Community College Trustees board, an organization that helps advance the mission of community colleges across the state.

Olivares-Lambert, who has served the Governing Board since 2020, was one of nine members and five officers elected on May 6 in Monterey. She will be sworn in during a virtual ceremony on June 16.

“I’m really excited to represent Chaffey and make sure our students and our community have as many resources and support as possible,” she said. “It’s an honor to work with this group because they’ve been doing important work for their communities and the state.”

Olivares-Lambert has served on the board’s diversity, equity, inclusion and access committee since January. The board has been examining best practices for supporting college CEOs, superintendents and presidents.

Chaffey College Governing Board President Lee C. McDougal nominated Olivares-Lambert for the trustees’ position.

“Community colleges will continue to play a critical role in our state’s economic recovery in the coming years, and it’s important that Chaffey College has a seat at the table for important decisions affecting our students,” McDougal said. “Deana’s dedication to Chaffey’s mission and her vast leadership experience make her the perfect candidate for this role.”

In her new position, Olivares-Lambert plans to help with removing barriers to student success. The board has numerous issues it plans to address in the next year including college completion and transfer rates, baccalaureate programs for community colleges as well as support services.

Olivares-Lambert is a partner at The 20/20 Network, a Southern California-based communications firm specializing in media and community relations, branding, strategic planning and crisis management. Her firm has provided services for the Inland Empire United Way, Southern California Association of Governments and the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board, among others.

Olivares-Lambert works to advance racial equity in government and public agencies through the Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship. She serves on the Children's Fund board and is also a member of the National Latina Business Women Association of the Inland Empire.

Olivares-Lambert is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership, with an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion and access at California State University San Bernardino.