A unified Monterey Peninsula College Board of Trustees may divide after Nov. 6.

Last year was one of acrimony for Monterey Peninsula College, as faculty members marched in the streets and pleaded with the MPC Board of Trustees to hear their complaints.

With MPC’s accreditation then in question and faculty working without a contract, they put the blame squarely on President/Superintendent Walt Tribley. Board members appeared baffled – all five routinely praised Tribley, who is set to retire next year.

Feeling unheard, faculty started to search for challengers for two board seats – Area 1, covering Sand City and a southern portion of Seaside, and Area 2, comprising northern Seaside and Marina. Now three newcomers to MPC are running for two seats on Nov. 6; not surprisingly, two candidates have made listening to faculty and other stakeholders a priority.

Area 1 is guaranteed a new representative since Charles Brown, who joined the board in 2009, did not file for re-election. Two candidates emerged: Felix Bachofner and Natalia Molina. Bachofner is a former Seaside councilmember and mayor running on his leadership and management experience. Molina has identified communication and transparency as key issues.

Incumbent Margaret-Anne Coppernoll, also on the board since 2009 and one of the Tribley’s biggest supporters, is running for re-election in Area 2. She faces challenger Yuri Anderson, a former United Way of Monterey County vice president who works on the staff of Monterey County Supervisor Mary Adams.

Anderson has mounted a grassroots campaign and appears to be the only candidate who has raised and spent campaign funds – she’s raised nearly $10,000 and spent about half to date. Donors include several MPC instructors; Faculty Association President Lauren Blanchard and Vice President Alan Haffa, have donated $100 each.