Cerritos College’s very own will soon take public office, hoping to better serve the communities they live in.

Biology instructor Connie Boardman and music instructor Gary Pritchard have recently won a seat in public office.

After legal troubles and a recall, both Boardman and Pritchard wish to better speak for the people in their communities.

Having previously served a term as mayor of Huntington Beach in 2003, Boardman is now ready to represent the people of Huntington Beach for the next four years.

“I am very excited to, once again, be able to represent the people of Huntington Beach,” Boardman said of her election.

Boardman’s motivation to run for the city council comes after Huntington Beach’s recent legal troubles.

“I was motivated to run again because I don’t believe the current council was doing a good job of representing the people of the city. There are four different citizen groups suing the city over four projects in four different areas of the city,” Boardman stated.

Her decision was sparked after the city violated the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, which was aimed at buying, restoring and preserving parts of the Bolsa Chica mesa.

Despite public outcry, the board still voted 11-1 for the construction of homes at Bolsa Chica.

Pritchard is also about to take office in hopes of doing better by his community.

The Capistrano Unified School District is going through its third governmental recall in five years. The Parents for Local Control was behind the latest recall, accusing members of the school board of corruption.

Pritchard is set to replace Ken Lopez-Maddox and Mike Winsten, who are being accused of misappropriating funds.

With a seat on the Capistrano Unified School District, Pritchard will replace one of the re¬called trustees and will finish the remaining two years of his term.

“I wanted to affect positive change in my community. As a life-long educator, I believe the best way to make our communities better is to focus on educating our children,” Pritchard stated.

Despite no previous experience on a school board, Pritchard plans to use his community college teaching experience to help students prepare for their careers.

“I bring an understanding of how to align career and college readiness in secondary education with the community college system,” Pritchard said.

Both professors are set to take office within the next month and are hopeful to make a valuable impact in their cities.