OAKLAND, Calif., October 28, 2026—The Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees selected Ashlee Jemmott to fill the vacant Trustee Area 1 seat following public interviews and deliberations during its October 27 meeting at College of Alameda.
The District received seven eligible applications for the vacancy. After one applicant withdrew, the Board interviewed the six remaining candidates. Each candidate was asked the same set of questions and given the same amount of time to respond. Following the initial interviews, the Board advanced three candidates—Jemmott, Louiza Doran and Solymar Solá-Negrón—to a second round of follow-up questions. After hearing from all three candidates, the Board recessed at 6:30 p.m. and reconvened at 7 p.m. to deliberate and select Jemmott.
“Selecting one candidate from such a high caliber of applicants was a difficult decision. We are grateful to everyone who applied and to all six candidates who shared their perspectives and commitment to our communities through the public interview process,” said Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees President Louis Quindlen. “We also appreciate the District’s work in creating a process that attracted qualified applicants and streamlined the interviews. I’m pleased the process was seamless and the Board reached a unified decision.”
Jemmott is a public-sector and community leader with more than 12 years of experience spanning human services, education, workforce development, behavioral health and community development. She currently serves as a manager in the City of Oakland’s Human Services Department, where she oversees the Alameda County–Oakland Community Action Partnership and leads programs and partnerships focused on addressing poverty and expanding economic opportunity.
Her previous experience includes serving in the Oakland City Council District 1 Office and holding leadership roles with nonprofit organizations focused on youth development, behavioral health, workforce development, and community services. She also serves as chair of the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth Planning and Oversight Committee and is a member of the Alameda County Behavioral Health Advisory Board. Her work has included public funding oversight, strategic planning, cross-sector partnerships, and responsible management of public and grant-funded resources.
Jemmott holds a Master of Business Administration from Mills College in Oakland and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in African American Studies, from San José State University. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Black Women Organizing for Political Action (BWOPA). Her professional experience and community service reflect a longstanding focus on education, economic mobility, youth development, and equitable access to public resources.
Jemmott will serve the remainder of the Trustee Area 1 term, through November 2028. She is scheduled to be sworn in at the Board of Trustees’ Regular and Annual Organizational Meeting on Tuesday, December 15, 2026.
About Peralta Community College District
Founded in 1964, the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) is a collaborative community of colleges comprised of Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, and Merritt College in northern Alameda County. The Peralta Colleges provide a dynamic, multicultural learning environment offering accessible, high-quality educational programs and services, including two-year degrees, certificates, and university transfer programs, to approximately 30,000 students per year.
Media Contact:
Tina Vossugh
Executive Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations
Peralta Community College District
tvossugh@peralta.edu
