Mother.
Professor.
A Voice For Our Community.
- About -
Holly Hamilton-Bleakley was raised on a ranch in Southern Idaho. After graduating from Jerome High School, she earned a BA in Economics from Wellesley College. After a short stint working on Wall Street as an investment banker, she then went to graduate school at the University of Cambridge, where she earned an MPhil and PhD in Intellectual History and Political Thought. Currently, she is on the Philosophy faculty at the University of San Diego, where she has taught since 2014. She specializes in moral philosophy, applied ethics, and political philosophy. Holly has also served in elected positions on the University of San Diego’s Academic Assembly.
As an academic, Holly has often challenged academia and been a voice for free speech and diversity of opinion in higher education. She is currently working on a book entitled The Ethics of Free Speech, making a moral argument for freedom of thought, expression, and speech.
Holly is married to Tim Bleakley, and together they are the parents of six children, ranging in ages from 26 to 15.
Holly was elected to Ramona Community Planning Group in 2022, where she has advocated to protect Ramona’s quality of life and for community representation in land use decisions.
- Endorsements -
Jacqui Kaiser, Palomar Community College Trustee
Dane White, Escondido Mayor
Christian Garcia, Escondido Deputy Mayor
Caylin Frank, Poway Deputy Mayor
Brian Pepin, Poway City Councilmember
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"Holly truly cares about peoples futures as she is a living role model for how each and every student can pursue their goals."
- Roger Dohm, Ramona Unified School Board Trustee
- Why I'm Running -
I have dedicated my life to higher education, I have seen the power that an education has in transforming lives. I believe passionately in the mission of our community colleges, which is to provide the members of our community with an affordable, high-quality education. I want to ensure that the education offered by Palomar continues to be excellent and accessible to everyone in our community.
I also know from personal experience that our institutions of higher education are often not reflective of the values of our community. I believe the job of the Board of Trustees is to be a voice for the community and make sure that our needs and interests are represented. That means the College should do away with the hyper-political focus on identity politics and refocus their efforts on student outcomes. The College should offer coursework and programs that reflect the needs of employers and job opportunities in North County.
The Board of Trustees also has a responsibility to taxpayers to maintain long-term fiscal responsibility and provide a truly independent perspective on the board. As a Trustee, I want to ensure that the members of the faculty feel respected, valued and heard by the administration, and that faculty salaries continue to be competitive— but it is also important to balance those goals with decisions that protect taxpayers and the ability for the district to continue to provide services well into the future.
- Trustee Area 4 -
The Palomar Community College District Governing Board, Trustee Area 4 covers Poway, Ramona, Julian, Valley Center, parts of Escondido and Valley Center, as well as the east backcountry all the way out to Julian, Warner Springs, Borrego Springs and Ocotillo Wells.