Michelle Richardson Bailey Elected President of Pasadena Unified School Board

PASADENA – ColoradoBouolevard.net:

At its annual organizational meeting on December 12, 2022, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education elected Michelle Richardson Bailey as its president for 2023. Kimberly Kenne was selected vice president and Jennifer Hall Lee was named clerk. Board officers serve one-year terms.

By News Desk

“I look forward to working together with our new and returning members of the Board of Education to prepare our students to be successful in a rapidly changing world,” said Superintendent Brian McDonald, Ed.D.

“I am honored to be elected Board President by my esteemed colleagues on the Board of Education,” said Ms. Bailey. “I look forward to the work ahead transforming our district into one of the best in the country and realizing our vision: to inspire the joy of learning in every student.”

Ms. Bailey says that since being elected to the Board, she is most proud of authorizing two resolutions, PUSD’s Commitment to Black Students and PUSD’s Commitment to Latinx Students, both of which consistently drive the district’s work for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Michelle Richardson Bailey

Michelle Richardson Bailey was elected to the Board in 2017 and represents District 3. With over 20 years as a classified employee of PUSD and of the Oakland County Office of Education, Ms. Bailey brings important experience to the Board of Education. Ms. Bailey and her three children are products of PUSD schools. She served as secretary at Blair High School and was previously secretary at Pasadena High School and in the Superintendent’s office. Ms. Bailey has served on the PUSD Branding Advisory Committee, the LCAP Committee, the district’s AB 86 and Professional Development Committees, and the PTSA and the School Site Council of Blair School. She also founded the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, now known as the Classified Advisory Council. She served as clerk of the board in 2021 and vice president in 2022.

Patrice Marshall McKenzie

Patrice Marshall McKenzie was sworn in as a newly-elected Board member representing District 5. A product of PUSD, Ms. Marshall McKenzie has more than 15 years of experience working with state and local government leaders including members of the California State Legislature and the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. In 2020, she co-chaired the successful ‘Yes on Measure O’ school bond campaign to support school infrastructure, visual/performing arts and STEAM curriculum advancements. Additionally, she is committed to developing legislation that prioritizes equity, social justice, and student achievement. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in African American Studies and a Minor in Critical Pedagogy. She also holds a Masters in Public Administration degree from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College of New York.

Dr. Yarma Velázquez

Dr. Yarma Velázquez was sworn in as a newly-elected Board member representing District 7. Dr. Velázquez is originally from Puerto Rico and comes from a family of educators. She holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University, an M.A. from Michigan State University, and a B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico in Communication. She works as a full professor of Communication in the Department of Chicana/o Studies at California State University Northridge. Dr. Velázquez and her family live in Pasadena. She has two children in PUSD schools and is enthusiastic about issues of equity and justice in education. Dr. Velazquez is a Girl Scout co-leader and a member of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Greater Pasadena.

Kimberly Kenne

Kimberly Kenne, the newly-elected vice president, was first elected to the Board in 2011 and represents District 1. Ms. Kenne has been actively involved as a parent leader at the school site, district, and state levels since her children started kindergarten at Burbank Elementary. A systems integration expert by profession, Ms. Kenne combines her passion for genuine parent engagement in education with a commitment to compliance with state and federal law when it comes to spending public dollars.

Jennifer Hall Lee

Jennifer Hall Lee was named PUSD Board Clerk. Prior to being elected to the PUSD Board to represent District 2 in 2020, Ms. Hall Lee served for three terms on the Altadena Town Council from 2014-2020. An unwavering supporter of public school education, she re-established the Altadena Town Council Education Committee to introduce PUSD schools in Altadena to residents. She is also a writer, has produced her own independent documentary films, and was a member of Local 700 and IATSE Local 16.