SANTA ANA : College Board Picks Montejano Successor

The newest member of the Rancho Santiago College Board of Trustees has never attended college himself, but John M. Raya, who has been selected to replace Rodolfo Montejano on the seven-member board, says he knows the value of education.

“I believe very strongly that education is the foundation upon which self-sufficiency is built,” Raya said this week. “My goal as a trustee is to do all I can to ensure that the opportunities for educational advancement are open to everyone and to encourage the residents of the Rancho Santiago Community College District to attain marketable skills.”

Raya, 38, is a lifelong resident of Santa Ana and an employee of Golden West Plumbing in Orange. He was unanimously chosen by the board last week to replace Montejano, a founding board member who resigned last month for health reasons with one year of his term remaining.

“I feel great about being chosen,” Raya said. “It was a very qualified group of candidates, and I think the community should be proud that so many quality people wanted to serve on the board.”

Raya said he is not intimidated about the prospect of replacing Montejano, a Santa Ana attorney and lobbyist, or about joining a board that includes several college educators.

“At first, I thought my lack of a college education might be portrayed as a weakness when applying for a seat on the board,” he said. “But I think my business background was a perspective the board felt was needed. I think they felt they needed a mix to offer an alternative perspective.”

Raya, who is married and has three children, is an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana and the Santiago Club, a nonprofit community service organization. He also serves on the board of directors of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Orange County.

Raya will be officially sworn in at the board’s next meeting, which will be held on Oct. 14. His seat will be on the ballot in November, 1992.