College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees — Ward 2
An Educator’s Voice for the College of the Sequoias Board
Kristina Roper has spent 35 years teaching and working in the Central Valley, and served two terms as a trustee on her local school board. Now she’s running to bring an educator’s perspective, one the Board has never had, to College of the Sequoias.
Meet Kristina
For 35 years, Kristina Roper has lived and worked right here in the Central Valley: first building a career in archaeology and historic preservation, then spending decades as a professor at Fresno State, and running a small business of her own.
Long before she thought about higher education policy, she was already living it: Kristina served two full terms on her local school board, learning firsthand what it takes to govern a public institution responsibly, transparently, and in the interest of the students and staff it serves.
If elected, Kristina would be the first academic to serve on the College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees, bringing a classroom-level understanding of what students, faculty, and staff actually need to a board that sets policy for all of them.
Priorities
Kristina’s focus is squarely on what the Board of Trustees actually controls: the education and opportunity College of the Sequoias delivers to Ward 2 students, faculty, and staff.
Workforce & Trade Training
Expand trade and technical programs so Valley students can build real careers close to home, not just four-year degrees. Every COS student, whether headed for a skilled trade, a transfer degree, or a certificate program, deserves a Board that understands what it actually takes to succeed in the classroom and after it.
Affordable Access
Reduce the cost, scheduling, and transportation barriers that keep working adults and first-generation students out of the classroom. Kristina spent decades mentoring first-generation students at Fresno State, so she knows what it actually takes to get them enrolled, and keep them enrolled.
Keeping Talent in the Valley
Strengthen partnerships with local employers so COS graduates have a reason to build their careers and futures right here. As a small business owner in the Central Valley herself, Kristina understands what local employers need from COS graduates, and she will keep the college responsive to a changing Valley economy.
Transparent, Accountable Governance
Bring the same fiscal responsibility and transparency she practiced across two full terms on her local school board to every decision the COS Board makes. She has seen firsthand how a governing board's choices ripple through classrooms and budgets, and she will put students, teachers, and the community first.
Do You Live in Ward 2?
Only Ward 2 voters can vote in this race. Here’s the district Kristina is running to represent.
In Ward 2
- Three Rivers
- Lemon Cove
- Lindcove
- Exeter
- Tooleville
- Hypericum
- Eastern Visalia (east of Ben Maddox Way, from Murray Ave south to Caldwell/K Ave)
- Eastern Tulare (east of J Street)
Not in Ward 2
- Woodlake (Ward 3)
- Western Visalia, west of Ben Maddox Way (Ward 1)
- Farmersville (Ward 1)
- Western Tulare, west of J Street (Ward 4)
Not sure if your address is in Ward 2? Check your voter registration with the Tulare County Registrar of Voters to confirm.
Endorsed By
The People Who Work at COS Every Day
Kristina is endorsed by all three unions representing College of the Sequoias’ faculty and staff — the people best positioned to know what the Board’s decisions actually mean for classrooms and campuses.
COSAFA
College of the Sequoias Adjunct Faculty Association
COSTA
College of the Sequoias Teachers Association
CSEA
California School Employees Association
“The people making decisions about a college should include someone who spent a career in a classroom.”
Kristina Roper
Get Involved
This campaign runs on neighbors helping neighbors. Pick what fits, then sign up below.
Chip In
This is a grassroots, locally-funded campaign. Every contribution helps get Kristina’s message to Ward 2 voters.
Prefer to give by check in the meantime? Make it payable to C. Kristina Roper for College of Sequoias Board 2026 and mail it to River City Business Services, 5445 Madison Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95841.