Michael Sonnleitner
Michael Sonnleitner was a member of the Portland Community College Board of Directors in Oregon, representing Zone 3. Sonnleitner assumed office on July 1, 2015. Sonnleitner left office on June 30, 2023.
Sonnleitner ran for re-election to the Portland Community College Board of Directors to represent Zone 3 in Oregon. Sonnleitner won in the general election on May 21, 2019.
Sonnleitner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2019
See also: Municipal elections in Multnomah County, Oregon (2019)
General election
General election for Portland Community College Board of Directors Zone 3
Incumbent Michael Sonnleitner defeated Jason Young in the general election for Portland Community College Board of Directors Zone 3 on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Michael Sonnleitner (Nonpartisan)  | 79.1 | 15,086 |
| Jason Young (Nonpartisan) | 20.4 | 3,891 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 99 | ||
| Total votes: 19,076 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Michael Sonnleitner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sonnleitner's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
My decision to run for re-election to the non-partisan Portland Community College Board of Directors (Zone 3 position) reflects 3 intersectional needs: 1) DIVERSITY to be embraced throughout PCC & beyond, to build bridges with underserved communities which reflect both empathy & action; 2) EQUITY including tuition as low as can be fiscally responsible, for open access to educational opportunities key to family-wage jobs & lifelong learning; and 3) INCLUSION involving greater transparency, to encourage more collaborative decision-making that values input from all communities impacted by PCC Board Policies. While positive steps have been taken, much remains to be done while combatting personal, societal, and systemic (including institutional) harmful patterns of discrimination relating to poverty, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, and identity. Economic & environmental sustainability must combine with community empowerment & nonviolence for a better future.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
The intersectionality of public policy areas require that a concern about one area (like community college education) is linked to concern about most all others (immigration reform, poverty, affordable housing, healthcare, environmental degradation, etc.).
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
An important role model for me is Mohandas K. Gandhi, nonviolence advocate and leader of the Independence Movement in India.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
Read my doctoral dissertation: "Soul Force & Social Change according to M.K. Gandhi & M.L. King Jr.".
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Truthfulness, Transparency, and Listening Skills.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
Honesty, Willingness to Listen to Anyone, Pragmatism.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Empower people to be engaged in civic affairs and act with integrity.
What legacy would you like to leave?
A good life.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
Age 14: The Birmingham Campaign of 1963 led by Martin Luther King Jr.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Orchard worker/fruit picker. 15 summers age 13 thru 29.
What happened on your most awkward date?
No of anyone's business.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
India's Festival of Lights signalling the victory of good over evil (in ourselves and beyond).
What is your favorite book? Why?
Kahil Gibran's "Jesus, the Man" -- as it provides incites from multiple points of view.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Green Lantern.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
Family Photographs. Memories provide solace.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
"Love is Simple" -- traditional Shaker hymn
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Anger Management
What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?
Oversight of Mission, Budget, CEO, and to be responsive to Community Needs.
Who are your constituents?
120,765 registered voters in Portland Community College Zone 3.
How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?
As best as community & financial resources, as well as our collecgtive imagination may allow.
How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?
I don't target or rank order organizations or groups -- but actively seek to be inclusive of all communities.
What will you do to build a better relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?
Parental involvement is not an issue at the community college level. Listening (and being responsive) to the entire community is paramount.
Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?
Yes. I serve as Co-Chair of the PCC Board's Committee on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion -- and daily see the need to actively involve a wide range of people and perspectives in positions of policymaking -- and to serve as employees in the classroom and support services.
What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?
A great many inter-related issues often make the ideal of high quality education more difficult to realize. Budgetary (including lack of public funding) issues combine with bureaucratic issues (inefficient systems), ego issues (leaders lacking in humility), as well as issues pervasive in society as a whole which adversely impact educational environments (like hunger, economic insecurity, lack of healthcare, racism, sexism, homophobia, and cultural factors emphasizing selfishness & individualism). There are no magic bullets to problems arising from these challenges -- though we must attempt to mobilize financial resources & concerned people with skills as best we can.
What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?
A Good teacher is a student for life who listens to others and seeks to constantly improve communication skills & content competence. Classroom evaluations -- especially from the students who are directly impacted.
What type of skills should students be learning for success in the 21st century?
Reading, Writing, Math, Computer, Second Language, and other skills need to be joined with interpersonal communication, group collaboration, and multicultural competencies in to develop a broad knowledge base which life-long learning can add to.
How might you improve the value of a high school diploma? What should a 21st century diploma reflect?
80% of family wage jobs in the US now need a diploma or certificate beyond high school. This is why Community College degrees & certificates are of such crucial importance.
In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?
Traditional Liberal Arts Curriculum must be expanded to include multicultural competencies & global awareness -- even as Career Technical Education needs to evolve and be responsive to evolving employment opportunities.
What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?
In Oregon we need much more adequate stable funding for pre-college and higher education -- which means an expanded budget pie that requires large corporations & wealthy people to pay more their fair share (via a progressive tax structure). To force institutions of higher education to increase tuition & fees to cover necessary employee and facility costs is simply unsustainable. Historically marginalized populations are becoming more and more priced out of having access to future educational opportunities. This is categorically unacceptable.
What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?
Safety is a function of economic & interpersonal harmony reflected in systems that respect the value of every human being. Addressing conflicts with a primary reliance upon mechanisms of physical security will produce little long-term progress. Building communities that embrace diversity, activeness seek to be equitable, and include impacted people in contributing to policies that affect them -- that is a real recipe for safety.
How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?
A collaborative culture that is committed to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusions issues can be far more effectively responsive to mental health and other issues now adversely impacting students and employees alike. Adequate stable funding, in this context is needed to provide those with specialized skills to respond to individuals who are suffering social and other ills that often require professional attention.
What role do you imagine technology playing in (and outside) the classroom in the future? How would you prepare the district for this?
Technology provides tools we can choose to use for our common benefit. We must learn to use technology in the service of a future we consider desiraable -- not simply allow ourselves to be comntrolled by techological developments that may not benefit society as a whole. Crtiitical thinking skills a crucial to a future where choice is not abandoned to expediency.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2019 Elections
External links
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