Francis Pollara, a Pasadena City College alumnus, is running for the Pasadena Area Community College Board Area 1 seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The nonpartisan race also includes Geoff Baum, according to BallotReady election data.
Sandra Chen Lau, a District 1 trustee on the Pasadena City College Board, has endorsed Pollara.
Candidate information
- Residence: Pasadena
- Education: Bachelor's degree with a double major in film and product design, ArtCenter College of Design, according to Local News Pasadena
- Family: Father of two; first-generation American
Pollara said he grew up in La Cañada Flintridge and co-enrolled at PCC while still in high school, before formal dual-enrollment programs existed, commuting by bus for what he described as eight-hour instructional days. He said he later won a PCC scholarship to study abroad in Florence. Pollara described himself as a neurodivergent learner who was tracked into lower-level high school courses and had to advocate his way into more rigorous classes, making up additional coursework at PCC to reach his four-year undergraduate program.
Experience and public service
Pollara said he has worked in infrastructure and workforce development at Los Angeles City Hall. He has also served as a city commissioner in La Cañada Flintridge, according to his campaign endorsements page.
On the issues
The positions below are drawn from Pollara's responses to Local News Pasadena and Colorado Boulevard candidate questionnaires.
Workforce development: Pollara said he wants PCC to develop closer public-private partnerships with major local employers such as Parsons, JPL, Huntington Hospital and Kaiser Permanente. He said the goal is to align curriculum with employer needs in aerospace engineering, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, clean technology and biotech so credentialed students are job-ready upon graduation.
Dual enrollment and career technical education: Pollara said he wants to expand dual enrollment and expressed concern that hands-on career technical education programs like woodworking, automotive and ironworking are being squeezed out of high schools as STEM electives expand. He said school districts should have a greater role in assessing the rigor of dual-enrollment coursework.
Financial aid and student completion: Pollara said recent changes to federal financial aid put students at risk of running out of aid before completing their credentials, particularly first-generation and minority students. He said he wants PCC counselors to more actively coach students through FAFSA planning.
Credit for prior learning: Pollara said he supports California's credit-for-prior-learning program and wants it implemented at scale at PCC, particularly to help returning veterans and others with real-world experience avoid redundant coursework.
Fiscal oversight: Pollara said PCC should continue emphasizing financial oversight, transparency and institutional stability. He said he hopes to build on recent improvements in fiscal management and professional governance.
Endorsements
The following endorsements are listed on Pollara's campaign website:
- Judy Chu, U.S. representative, California's 28th Congressional District
- Carol J. Liu, former California state senator and former PCC Foundation board member
- Steve Gibson, Pasadena City College Board of Trustees president, District 3
- Sandra Chen Lau, Pasadena City College Board of Trustees, District 1
- Kim Bowman, mayor and councilmember, City of La Cañada Flintridge
- Stonewall Democratic Club
- Cañada Crescenta Democratic Club
The general election is Nov. 3.
