New officers, directors installed
Published: January 1, 2006
Luan Rivera, a former teacher and current member of the Ramona Unified School District in San Diego County, became President of the California School Boards Association at the close of the Annual Education Conference in San Diego last month.
Rivera succeeds Dr. Kerry Clegg of the Sulphur Springs School District in Los Angeles County, who remains active in the association as Immediate Past President.
“I am very honored to have the opportunity to serve the members of CSBA and the more than 6 million schoolchildren of California as the 2006 President of CSBA,” Rivera said after the conference. “With the special election behind us, it is time for us to look forward to see how we can better address the needs of the young people of this state.”
CSBA’s Delegate Assembly confirmed as CSBA President-elect Dr. Kathleen Kinley, a board member in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District in Ontario, during its meeting that preceded the Annual Education Conference. Kinley, a school principal and former teacher who holds a doctorate in educational leadership, was first elected to her local school board in 1983 and to the Delegate Assembly in 1984.
“I am committed to improving student achievement through strong local governance teams. As CSBA president-elect, I will advocate for district and county board members as we meet these challenges together,” Kinley said.
By popular acclamation, the delegates elected Paul Chatman, a school board member in the Ocean View Elementary School District in Ventura County, as the association’s Vice President. Chatman has been active in CSBA for 16 years and was previously the Director-at-Large, Black.
“The structure of CSBA is well positioned to move the public education agenda and set the pace for the rest of the country. As Vice President of CSBA, you have my commitment that I will continue to keep the needs of all of California’s children as our priority,” Chatman said.
Directors-at-Large
The Delegate Assembly also conducted elections for two Directors-at-Large to represent black students and those served by county boards of education, and re-elected Shelly Yarbrough as Director-at-Large, American Indian.
“I’ve worked diligently gathering statistics to learn the many reasons why our children have not improved as well as others,” Yarbrough, a board trustee at the Val Verde Unified School District in Riverside County, noted. “I’ve made progress and would like to continue my work to serve the 55,000 native American students in our schools” in California.
Gwen Estes is the new Director-at Large, Black, succeeding Vice President Chatman. A member of the New Haven Unified School District board in Alameda County since 1994, Estes is president of the Coalition of California Black School Board Members. She has been active in CSBA since 1998 and currently serves as a Governmental Relations Chair and a member of the Legislative Committee.
“As a member of the Board of Directors, it will be my responsibility to work collaboratively with the other Directors to ensure that there is ongoing advocacy for those who count on us to do what is educationally ‘right’ for them – our children,” Estes said.
Sara Wilkins, president of the Madera County Board of Education for 13 years, is the new Director-at-Large, County. She served as president of the California County Boards of Education in 2003 and succeeds Sophia Waugh.
“Each county is unique in and of itself and has different and unique challenges,” Wilkins said. “I could help bring the overall perspective of county offices of education to the CSBA Board to help in serving all the children in the diverse state of California.”
New directors
Jennifer Kresge, from the Napa County Board of Education, joins CSBA’s Board of Directors in her capacity as president of the California County Boards of Education.
Other new directors include Jill Wynns from San Francisco County and Unified School District in Region 5, Janice Friesen from Castro Valley Unified School District in Region 7 and Robert Cruz from Charter Oak Unified School District in Region 23.
Other incumbent directors in CSBA’s odd-numbered regions were reconfirmed by the Delegate Assembly.