At its regular meeting on Wednesday, the Orange County Board of Education welcomed its newest member and voted to elect officers for the 2016-17 school year.
Beckie Gomez, a Tustin city councilwoman and Cypress College administrator who secured a victory in the June 7 election, was sworn in at the start of the session along with board incumbents Ken Williams and Jack Bedell. Moments later, Linda Lindholm, who joined the board in 2014, was selected to serve a one-year term as president, and Trustee Bedell was named vice president.
This marks the first term as board president for Lindholm, but it’s certainly not her first time leading an elected body. She was previously a member of the Laguna Niguel City Council, serving four terms as that city’s mayor. Along with posts on various city boards and committees, Lindholm has been president of the Saddleback College Foundation Board, chairwoman of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency and president of the Beta Foster Care Advisory Board.
The Orange County Board of Education is made up of five elected officials who each serve four-year terms. Its responsibilities include approving OCDE’s budget and receiving the department’s annual audit; maintaining an awareness of the operations and financial conditions of school districts throughout the county; approving the purchase of property fordepartment programs; hearing and ruling on expulsion appeals, interdistrict attendance appeals and charter school appeals; representing Orange County’s education community and families at the local, county, state and national levels; and informing local communities about the programs and achievements of the Orange County Department of Education.
More information can be found here on the board’s official website.