Experience · Integrity · Responsible Leadership
Dr. Karima Feldhus
For SOCCCD Trustee • Area 4
Working together for a stronger South Orange County.
A strong voice for students, employees, taxpayers, and the communities we serve.
For SOCCCD Trustee • Area 4
Working together for a stronger South Orange County.
A strong voice for students, employees, taxpayers, and the communities we serve.
Deep firsthand understanding of our colleges, our students, and our communities.
Led credit and noncredit educational programs serving students across the lifespan — from children and traditional college students to adult learners and older adults.
Dean at Irvine Valley College and Executive Dean at Saddleback College — a district-wide perspective and proven leadership.
Managed multi-million-dollar budgets with a focus on accountability and responsible stewardship, secured grant funding, and built partnerships connecting colleges, employers, and community organizations.
A former Acting Chancellor of the district, the Board President, two sitting trustees, a retired college president, a former state Board of Governors member and two longtime faculty leaders — people who know these colleges from the inside.
Karima has devoted her career to students, educational opportunity, and workforce pathways. Her deep experience, compassionate leadership, and commitment to excellence make her uniquely qualified to serve as a Trustee.
I have known Karima for many years and can confidently attest to her intelligence, professionalism, and exceptional leadership abilities. She remains composed and level-headed in times of uncertainty, and her deep understanding of higher education makes her uniquely qualified to serve as a Trustee.
I have known Karima for many years and can confidently attest to her intelligence, professionalism, and exceptional leadership abilities. She possesses strong analytical and research skills and approaches her work with integrity and professionalism.
In times of uncertainty, Karima remains composed and level-headed, demonstrating sound judgment and a positive, solution-oriented approach to problem-solving. Her deep understanding of higher education makes her uniquely qualified to serve as a Trustee. I enthusiastically recommend and support her.
I’ve seen Karima’s dedication and leadership help Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College rise to become the best colleges in the state and nation. She knows what it takes to build a great community college, and she always puts students first.
After many years of service on the SOCCCD Board of Trustees, I know what effective leadership looks like. Karima Feldhus brings the experience, integrity, and deep understanding of our colleges needed to serve students and our communities. I proudly endorse her.
I heartily endorse Karima Feldhus for Area 4 Trustee. Her experience and knowledge of both Saddleback College and IVC are deep and broad. She would bring her vast insider experience and knowledge to board discussions and decision-making, always keeping community and students first.
18 August 2026
I worked with Executive Dean Karima Feldhus for 7½ years and attribute much of the growth of our college and the success and satisfaction of our students to her tenure as head of Extended Learning. In that role, Karima oversaw and grew free programs which directly served our community, our beloved Emeritus Institute — enriching the lives and engaging older adults — and Adult Education, providing remunerative careers for English Language Learners and others. Both of these programs are among the biggest and best in the State… thanks to Karima.
Karima helped Saddleback grow to record enrollment and created innovative programs to better support our community, introducing new, shorter certificates that allowed grads to train for careers in as little as a single semester.
Karima helped thousands of students she supported be successful, propelling Saddleback College to its ranking of #6 in the country based on cost, academic outcomes and career outcomes (WalletHub 2026).
She would bring her vast insider experience and knowledge to board discussions and decision-making, ensuring that the colleges continue to be among the best in the country — efficiently, affordably, and always keeping community and students first.
Out of all the leaders I’ve met across California, one stood out: Dr. Karima Feldhus. Dr. Feldhus is bold, fierce, and completely dedicated to our communities. She is the most qualified candidate, has the greatest heart, and is the leader we deserve.
As a former member of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and the Calbright College Board of Trustees, I’ve had the honor of representing 2.2 million students. As an adult learner myself, I’ve fought hard for adult education, workforce development, and career technical pathways.
Out of all the leaders I’ve met across California, one stood out: Dr. Karima Feldhus.
Dr. Feldhus is bold, fierce, and completely dedicated to our communities. Don’t settle for less. She is the most qualified candidate, has the greatest heart, and is the leader we deserve.
As a six time president of the SOCCCD Academic Senate and a 36 year faculty member in English, I have worked with many administrators and none is more conscientious, dedicated, and creative than Karima. She is not only brilliant and resourceful, she is also extraordinarily kind.
Karima continues to be a model for me, a model of integrity, a model of virtue, a model of courage. I know that she will be an invaluable member of the Board, just as she has been a valuable, proven leader at both colleges.
Dr. Elliot Stern · Retired President, Saddleback College
I am running for the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees because I believe deeply in the power of public education to strengthen lives and communities. After more than 30 years in higher education, including serving as a dean at both Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, I know our district, our colleges, and the communities we serve.
As Trustee, I will work to:
I will lead with integrity, listen respectfully, support students and employees, protect taxpayer resources, and make thoughtful decisions that preserve the excellence of our colleges.
See Dr. Feldhus’s full professional background on LinkedIn →Short videos on why she’s running, what she’s learned in three decades of service, and what she wants for Area 4.
Proud to Serve at California’s #1 Community College
From First-Generation Student to College Leader
What Golf Has Taught Me About Leadership
Education Should Bring People Together
Events, endorsements and news, straight from the campaign’s Facebook page.
Every conversation, every sign, and every volunteer makes a difference.
Thirty years in public higher education — the record behind the candidacy.
Three decades of leadership at Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College — her full professional history, in her own words.
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Strong Leadership. Stronger Future.
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