The field of applicants for a vacant school board seat has narrowed from 27 to 22, and the Long Beach Unified School District has publicly posted the completed applications of the remaining candidates.
After the initial 27 applications were received, five applicants either withdrew or were disqualified because they did not live within the board district or were not registered to vote there.
The deadline to file applications was March 2. The school board is filling the vacancy by appointment, using an application, screening and interview process.
The District 5 seat on the five-member board became vacant Jan. 25 when board member David Barton resigned due to health concerns. District 5 includes much of East Long Beach and Lakewood, including Millikan and Lakewood high schools.
The school board is scheduled to make the appointment during a special board meeting set for 9 a.m. Friday, March 23. The new board member would complete the remainder of the term, which expires in July 2014.
First-round interviews of the applicants will be conducted by a committee that includes a representative of support staff employees along with representatives of the school district’s management association and the Long Beach Council PTA. The Teachers Association of Long Beach has declined to participate. This committee also will conduct second-round interviews of six finalists before recommending three top candidates to the school board.
The school board will interview the top three candidates at a public meeting tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 20 at 1515 Hughes Way.
Phone numbers were removed from the applications for the public posting. Following are the remaining 22 candidates, with links to their completed applications.
- William Baca, senior sales representative;
- Leolyn Boyer, retired educator;
- Jeremy Knowles Brust, attorney;
- Teresa Ayala Castillo, manager, City of Long Beach DHHS;
- Roberta "Bobbi" Clarke, counselor, Cabrillo H.S.;
- Gloria Cordero, consultant, public affairs;
- Diana Craighead, homemaker and volunteer;
- Cynthia Diaz, bookseller/substitute teacher;
- Camille Donnell, staff accountant, First 5 LA;
- Stephen Donnenfield, retired LBUSD teacher/substitute Lakewood crossing guard;
- Lynda Lee Gordon, retired LBCC professor;
- Anthony Klune Jr., instructor;
- Nancy Manriquez-Dowell, independent educational consultant;
- Sharon Wells McMahon, homemaker and volunteer;
- Shelly Millsap, senior human resource consultant;
- Stacy Mungo, administrative services manager, County of Los Angeles;
- Cindy Regnier Melvin, mother;
- Diane Ripley, public relations;
- Maria Williams Slaughter, administrator;
- Thomas Soto, director, information technology;
- Marc Titel, business programs director, Fremont College;
- Frederick Lim Uy, professor.
