Committee Members

The 11 members of the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization oversees school district organization, unification, formation and boundary changes. School and community college district board members throughout the county submit nominations for committee members, who serve four-year terms. Members are elected at an annual meeting of the voting representatives of the school boards. The committee is composed of two members for each of the five supervisorial districts, plus one member elected at large.

Members

* Sheldon S. Baker

A Glendale city councilman since 1993, Baker was a member of the Glendale Board of Education from 1965 to 1981. He is past president of the Community College District Board of Education, Los Angeles County School Trustees Assn. and the California School Boards Assn. An attorney, Baker specializes in tax law. He represents the 5th Supervisorial District on the county panel and his term ends in 2003.

* Kathryn Blankinship

Former instructor at Pasadena City College and Merit College, Blankinship was a member of the San Gabriel Board of Education from 1985 to 1997. An attorney, she has been a mediator and group facilitator in private practice since 1994. Representing the 5th Supervisorial District, her term on the committee ends this fall.

* Frank Bostrom

A committee member since 1992, Bostrom helped develop criteria for Los Angeles Unified School District reorganization proposals and has addressed concerns on the financial status of newly formed school districts. A local business owner and architect, Bostrom represents the 4th Supervisorial District. His term on the committee ends this fall.

* Rachel Chavez

A member of the Lynwood Board of Education from 1989 to 1997, Chavez has been a social and child welfare worker and an adult education teacher. She represents the 2nd Supervisorial District and her term on the committee ends in 2001.

* Lloyd de Llamas

First appointed to the committee in 1988, De Llamas has evaluated numerous school organization proposals and has helped develop policies to improve the hearing process. A former city manager of Monterey Park, Lawndale and Woodlake, De Llamas is president of HdL Cos., which provide financial and data services to local governments. The committee’s only at-large member, his term ends in the fall of 2003.

* Brenda Gottfried

A member of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board since 1990, Gottfried has been a member of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Assn., and is now a 41st Assembly District candidate. She represents the 3rd Supervisorial District and her term on the committee ends in the fall of 2003.

* Owen H. Griffith

A member of the Torrance Board of Education from 1967 to 1995, Griffith is also past president of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Assn. and the California Boards Assn. and has served on the Advisory Council to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Representing the 4th Supervisorial District, his term on the committee ends in 2002.

* Frank Ogaz

A member of the El Monte Union High School Board of Education since 1989, Ogaz has worked as a high-risk dropout coordinator at New Lexington Elementary School in El Monte. He is a former planning commissioner for the city of El Monte and a retired banking executive. Representing the 1st Supervisorial District, his term on the committee ends in 2002.

* John Nunez

A member of the Garvey Board of Education in Rosemead and an insurance salesman, Nunez has been a member of the Mexican-American School Board Assn. Representing the 1st Supervisorial District, his term on the committee ends this fall.

* R. Wayne Stark

A committee member since 1976, Stark was a Lawndale Board of Education member from 1970 to 1981. He retired in 1987 after 31 years with IBM as a market support representative. Representing the 2nd Supervisorial District, his term on the committee ends in the fall of 2001.

* AJ Willmer

An information technology consultant, Willmer has worked in the computer industry since 1979 as a programmer and systems integrator. He served on the Beverly Hills Board of Education from 1991 to 1997, was appointed to the California Education Technology Task Force and has served on the Los Angeles County School Trustees Assn. Representing the 3rd Supervisorial District, his term on the committee ends in the fall of 2001.