Town Where You Live
Springfield
Your Experience/Qualifications
Devon Lawson is a student at Lane Community College. He serves on LCC’s Bond Oversight Committee, where he helps ensure $125 million in taxpayer dollars are spent transparently. Devon has testified on over 200 education bills in the Oregon Legislature and co-authored legislation. He’s worked on over 30 campaigns, created a student rep seat on his local school board, and served on the McKenzie Tech Committee to expand student access to technology.
County
Lane
Term
4-years
My highest-priority goals are clear: expand access to affordable education, restore LCC’s DEI office, and protect the programs and services working families rely on—like Pell Grants, student health, and childcare. I’ll fight to keep tuition low, push for transparency in budgeting, and ensure all students—especially first-gen, rural, and immigrant students—have the support they need to thrive. As a proud Democrat and the grandson of a veteran, I’m running to make LCC work for everyone—not just the few.
I bring real policy experience and a proven track record of advocacy. I’ve worked on 30+ political campaigns, I serve on LCC’s Bond Oversight Committee ensuring $125 million taxpayer funds are spent responsibly, and I co-authored legislation in the Oregon Legislature to protect student voices. I’ve testified on over 200 education bills and fought for better technology, equity, and transparency in public schools. I know how public systems work—and how to fix them. I’m ready to deliver results for students and working families on day one.
We shouldn’t pit CTE and transfer programs against each other—both are essential. I would fight to fully fund and expand CTE programs that lead directly to high-wage, union-supported jobs, while also ensuring transfer students have the academic support and advising they need to succeed. My goal is a budget that reflects the real lives of working people: whether you're welding, nursing, coding, or preparing for a four-year degree, LCC should be your launchpad—not your barrier.
Town Where You Live
Springfield, OR
Your Experience/Qualifications
Current Zone 3 Representative, LCC Board. I have decades of board and nonprofit leadership experience. As the outgoing Executive Director after 8 years, and the current Finance Director managing this local nonprofit’s multi-million-dollar budget with federal and state funding, I understand the current challenges facing the college. As a non-traditional student and recipient of the Pell Grant and scholarships, I appreciate the need to keep costs down for students and ensure future opportunities.
County
Lane
Term
4 years
Term Expires
June 2029
My top priorities are:
1. Stabilizing the budget for long-term sustainability.
2. Supporting student success and workforce development.
3. Ensuring competitive wages and support for faculty and staff.
We’ve got some challenges, but I’m determined to keep costs down for students, ensure faculty and staff have competitive wages, provide an inclusive and welcoming campus, and expand our workforce goals.
We’re lucky to have an incredibly experienced cabinet and financial team.
In times of uncertainty, we need the tools to pivot, react, and respond when the time comes. I’ll make sure the team has the support and tools they need to give the Board and President Bulger the info we need to make informed and equitable decisions.
I was Executive Director for 8 years and now Finance Director for Hope & Safety Alliance (formerly Womenspace). I manage a multi-million-dollar budget with funding from federal, state, county and regional foundations. I have signed numerous contracts and reviewed the organization’s risk every year. I was appointed to the LCC Board in July 2024. I sit on the Cornerstone Community Housing Board, former Poverty & Homeless Board, a Pro Tem Instructor, UO Nonprofit Law Clinic. I am a non-traditional student and the proud recipient of the Ford Family and Pride Foundation grants to return to college in 2011 to get my associates degree from LCC, bachelor’s in political science and master’s certificate in nonprofit management.
Redistributing resources between these two important programs is not an answer. We need to find other ways to keep tuition and CTE training costs down. We need a skilled workforce, but if the training costs are too high, we’ll lose students. As our region keeps growing, LCC has to keep up with the needs of the local economy. We need to make sure our programs match what the workforce wants. That’s why I will advocate for partnerships with local businesses, industries, and labor unions to make sure students get the education and training they need to succeed in the jobs of tomorrow. I’d love to look into tuition savings programs where businesses can help pay for some of the costs. When students succeed, the community succeeds.
