Righeimer, Mensinger chosen for superintendent search panel

Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer and City Councilman Steve Mensinger are two of 30 volunteers selected to be community stakeholders in the process to select the new school district superintendent.

On Tuesday, the Newport-Mesa Unified school board finalized the community members who will serve on the Superintendent Community Interview Group, which will help the board select the best candidate. The decision ultimately lies with the board.

Mensinger will represent Costa Mesa United, a nonprofit that supports youth sports, while Righeimer is giving voice to the city of Costa Mesa during the interviews.

The board had initially pared the interview group down to 31 from the 45-member committee who helped hire former Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard, but the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce will not have a representative.

Righeimer and Mensinger are the only sitting council members on the interview group.

The volunteers include:

• Parent representatives: Julie Means, Angela Evans, Jennifer Burks, Colleen Barney, Ana Figueroa, Vicki Snell, Lori Dauncey and Michelle Christiansen;

• Community at large: Patty Christiansen and Vicki Martini

•District English Learner Advisory Committee: Marbella Venegas

• Harbor Council PTA: Lisa Boler

• Chamber of Commerce: Becky Gogel and Peter Jackson

• Student board members: Paul Tadross and Danielle Dickey

•Newport Beach representative: Charles Masters

• Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation: Barbara Harrington

• Coastline Community College District: Dennis Harkins

• Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers: Ines Vicente, Sarah Auwarter, Jean Bain and Kimberly Claytor

•California School Employees Assn.: Vicky Wyman and Cathie Ropp

• Newport-Mesa Administrators Assn.: Kirk Bauermeister and Lorie Hoggard

•Newport-Mesa Supervisors: Bea Volper

— Britney Barnes

Twitter: @BritneyJBarnes