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Norma Edith García was elected Nov. 6 to her third term on the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees.
WHITTIER – Rio Hondo College voters on Nov. 6 re-elected Norma Edith García and elected Whittier residents Rosaelva Lomeli and Oscar Valladares to serve on the Board of Trustees, according to preliminary election results.
RosaelvaLomeli
Oscar Valladares
“We are pleased to welcome our returning and new board members,” Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss said. “We are also focused on continuing to ensure student success at Rio Hondo College.”
García, who was first elected in 2009, serves Trustee Area 1, which includes the city of El Monte. She is deputy director of the Planning and Development Agency for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.
Lomeli, a science teacher at Suva Intermediate School in Montebello, will serve Trustee Area 3, which includes Whittier and South El Monte. She earned her Bachelor of Science in biology from Mount St. Mary’s College, as well as a secondary teaching credential and Master of Arts in education from Whittier College. She has been a teacher for 22 years.
She succeeds Trustee Mary Ann Pacheco, who was elected in 2013. Pacheco was a full-time teacher of English at Rio Hondo College for 37 years.
Valladares, a deputy public conservator in the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, will serve Trustee Area 5, which includes East Whittier. He is a graduate of East Los Angeles Community College and holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies from California State University, Los Angeles. He is a former Dreamer and previously served as an Executive Board Member of Service Employees International Union 721.
He succeeds Board President Madeline Shapiro, who was first elected in 2009. She has been a teacher in the East Whittier City School District for more than 24 years.
“I would like to add my sincerest thanks to Trustee Pacheco and President Shapiro for their incredible dedication to Rio Hondo College during their terms in office,” Dreyfuss said. “They have been terrific advocates for the College and our students.”
The new board members and García will join trustees Vicky Santana, who serves Trustee Area 2, and Gary Mendez, who serves Trustee Area 4.
The newly elected trustees will be given the Oath of Office and be seated at the Wednesday, Dec. 12 Board of Trustees meeting.
