FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | RELEASE DATE: February 17, 2026 | CONTACT: Dalilah Davaloz (562) 692-0921
(Whittier, Calif.) — Members of the Río Hondo Community College District Board of Trustees traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual National Legislative Summit and met with federal legislators and agency officials from Feb. 9 through Feb. 11, advocating for policies and resources that directly benefit students and the surrounding community.
Board President Rosaelva Lomeli, Vice President Yarisma Rocha, Board Member Oscar Valladares, Student Trustee Carlo Flores-Olson and Director of Government and Community Relations Dr. Russell Castañeda Calleros met with Congresswoman Linda Sánchez and Congressman Gil Cisneros Jr., as well as staff members from the offices of U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff.
During the visit, the Board of Trustees elevated the College’s 2026 federal legislative priorities, ensuring access through maximizing student support, advancing student success by meeting basic needs and supporting workforce development. The advocacy meetings provided an opportunity to share firsthand accounts of how federal funding directly impacts Río Hondo College students and strengthens the regional economy.
“These legislative visits provided our Board of Trustees valuable opportunities to inform our representatives about the needs of our students, engage in legislative advocacy, build on existing relationships and establish new ones,” said Board President Rosaelva Lomeli. “Making these connections helps the Board of Trustees to address our 2026 federal legislative priorities and secure much-needed resources for our students.”
In addition, the Board of Trustees met with officials from the U.S. Departments of Labor, Justice and Transportation. These meetings were scheduled to forge relationships with influential staff members, brief officials on relevant college programs and learn about upcoming funding opportunities. The Board of Trustees plan to host a campus visit for representatives from one or more of these offices later this spring.
The annual National Legislative Summit was hosted by the American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Community College Trustees. Featured speakers included members of Congress, policy analysts and media correspondents who provided insight and timely updates regarding the effects of the political landscape in the nation’s capital on community colleges nationwide.
Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss added, “I am grateful to the members of the Board of Trustees for their vision and steadfast commitment to articulating our students’ needs to our federal legislators and their staff members.” She continued, “Through the Board’s sustained advocacy and continuous partnership with our trusted congressional leaders, we will prioritize the most urgent needs of the College.”
Conversations with officials at the U.S. Departments of Labor, Justice and Transportation underscored the significance of ensuring that the College’s career workforce education programs continue to prepare students to enter the workforce and incumbent workers to re-enter the workforce. Staff from all three departments expressed interest in learning more about the College’s collaborative work with local industry and how this work helps the College adopt curricula that address evolving needs of the regional workforce.
For more information, visit RIOHONDO.EDU.
