Term of Office 2022-2026
Mr. Valladares was elected to the Río Hondo Community College District Board of Trustees in November 2018. Mr. Valladares represents Area 5, which includes East Whittier.
Biography
From his origins in Guatemala to his roots in East Los Angeles, Trustee Valladares has long championed the cause of community college students. A proud alumnus of East Los Angeles Community College and a graduate with a B.A. from California State University, Los Angeles, Valladares understands firsthand the challenges faced by students- especially those of first-generation and immigrant backgrounds.
His experience as a former undocumented community college student has profoundly impacted his policy work and advocacy. Trustee Valladares is dedicated to transforming policies and practices at Río Hondo College and the broader Community College System. His unwavering commitment focuses on increasing access, graduation completion rates, and removing institutional barriers that hinder student success.
A Commitment to Collaboration: Trustee Valladares believes in the power of partnership. He collaborates with K-12 districts, non-profits, and other local and regional trustee associations. He advocates for student success through these relationships, aiming to build sustainable and thriving communities.
In addition to his service on the Río Hondo College Board of Trustees, Trustee Oscar Valladares represents Río Hondo College and the State of California through national leadership in community college governance and advocacy.
Trustee Valladares has served in leadership roles with both the Community College League of California (CCLC) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). In 2022, he served on the CCLC Diversity and Equity Task Force, contributing to statewide efforts to advance equity and student success across California’s community colleges.
His national service with ACCT began in 2020 as a member of the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. In 2022, he was appointed to the ACCT Board of Directors representing the Pacific Region and was elected by the membership to a full term in 2023. In 2024, he was elected Secretary-Treasurer of ACCT’s Executive Committee and was appointed Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the ACCT Board of Directors and is slated to become Chair-Elect in late 2026.
As a national leader, Trustee Valladares served as an Advisory Member for the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP), a collaboration between ACCT and Achieving the Dream that develops board-level metrics and data-informed practices to improve student success, institutional effectiveness, and governance.
In 2025, Trustee Valladares participated in Community College Trusteeship in 2025: A Commitment to Serve, the largest national study of community college trustees, examining trustee demographics, motivations, governance priorities, and leadership practices.
Trustee Valladares is also a frequent national presenter, moderator, and panelist at higher education conferences, where he shares best practices in student success, effective governance, fiduciary stewardship, public policy, and institutional leadership. His work reflects a steadfast commitment to advancing educational access and success opportunities and strengthening community colleges across the nation.
Born in Guatemala, Valladares grew up in East Los Angeles. He began his journey in public service when he was first elected to the Río Hondo College Board of Trustees in 2018 and was subsequently re-elected in 2022. He resides in Whittier with his wife, Vivian, and their daughter, Madison.