Following the Nov. 30 deadline to submit a letter of intent to apply for the open seat on the seven-person Board of Education, the Gilroy Unified School District received notice of eight candidates by Wednesday afternoon.
The candidates have until Dec. 6 to compile and submit the rest of their required application materials, which includes a resume, three reference letters and answers to a list of eight questions.
The original deadline for application packets was by 5 p.m. Nov. 30, but was extended by six days to Dec. 6.
“We feel like people need a few more days,” said GUSD Board President Rhoda Bress. “Because of the holidays, the timeline just didn’t work for us. We are interested in getting applicants, and if the timeline doesn’t work for people, we need to be flexible about that.”
The vacancy was left by Francisco Dominguez, the embattled former GUSD trustee and sole proprietor of a local consulting company who is facing two separate investigations into alleged embezzlement and grand theft by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. Dominguez submitted his official letter of resignation Nov. 9.
Board bylaws mandate that a replacement be secured no later than Jan. 9 – exactly 60 days from when the seat was vacated.
Although Dominguez’s four-year term would have lasted until 2014, the appointee will hold office until the November 2012 elections, at which point he or she may run for the two-year position. During the November 2012 elections, the seats of GUSD trustees Rhoda Bress, Mark Good and Fred Tovar will open up for re-election. These are four-year positions. The appointee holding Dominguez’s former seat may opt to run for the two-year seat, or run for one of the four-year seats.
The interviews for a temporary appointee, which will begin at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at GUSD district offices located at 7810 Arroyo Circle, will be public.
All submitted a letter of intent by the Nov. 30 deadline.
Rebeca Armendariz: (was not reached)
Guy La’Mont Hadnot: 2010 president of the Parent Teacher Student Association at Christopher High School, (was not reached)
David Marin: Age: 45; Title: Vice President of Advertising for Mainstreet Media. Children: Three
Martha Martinez: Director, District/School Improvement Services for the Santa Clara County Office of Education, (was not reached)
Patricia Midtgaard: Age: 68; Title: Retired principal of Antonio Del Buono Elementary School; former GUSD school board member. Children: Three
Matt Morley: Age: 41; Title: Deputy Director, Fleet & Facilities. Children: Three
James Pace: Age: 39; Title: Director of Land Develop for Pembrook Development. Children: Two
Christine West: Age: 45; Title: Owns a Gilroy advertising agency called Go West Communications. Children: Two
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