Voters To Decide Who Will Fill Vacant Temecula Valley USD Board Seat

TEMECULA, CA — A nearly four-hour public interview process Tuesday ended with an outcome many in the Temecula Valley Unified School District community expected: Rather than appointing a candidate to fill the district's vacant Trustee Area 2 seat, the TVUSD Board of Trustees could not reach a consensus. As a result, the decision will be put to voters.

During Tuesday's special TVUSD board meeting, 11 of the 12 qualified candidates who applied for the provisional appointment were interviewed by the board. The candidates all met prerequisites established by the district, and many came with extensive resumes featuring decades of education experience.

The decorum was professional and civil throughout the interview process, without outbursts from the audience or the dais. Candidates each introduced themselves and presented their qualifications before board members began with interview questions.

When the Q&A was over, Board President Dr. Joseph Komrosky asked his three board colleagues to name their three top picks for the open seat.

It took about 15 minutes to determine there was no consensus.

Trustee Allison Barclay selected candidates Suzette Jacobsen, Gary Oddi and Angela Talarzyk. Trustee Steven Schwartz named candidates Susan Evans, Oddi and Talarzyk.

Trustee Jennifer Wiersma picked just one candidate, explaining that she felt the interview process was not in-depth enough. Cynthia Allen was her choice.

Komrosky told the audience his picks were Cole Everi Mann, Allen and Emil Barham. Aaron Hoover was named as his fourth selection.

The TVUSD board has been split following the December resignation of Area 2 Trustee Danny Gonzalez. Komrosky and Wiersma align; Barclay and Schwartz are typically united in their voting.

Without a consensus on a provisional appointment to fill the open seat, the board unanimously agreed Tuesday to order a special election in TVUSD Trustee Area 2. (See a TVUSD Trustee Area Map here.)

In an email Wednesday, Elizabeth Florer, public information officer for the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, said a date has not been set for the special election.

During Tuesday's board meeting, Schwartz asked that the election be held on the same date as a special recall election set this year for Komrosky, who serves in Trustee Area 4. On Jan. 22, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters certified that a petition garnered enough valid signatures from residents in Trustee Area 4 to put the question to voters of whether Komrosky should be recalled.

Florer confirmed in her Wednesday email that no date was set yet for that recall election.

Twelve candidates were scheduled to be interviewed by the board Tuesday, but one dropped out: Vahan Manoogian.

Candidates present for the interviews were:

1. Suzette Jacobsen
2. Cole Everi Mann
3. Danny Shaw
4. Emil Barham
5. Angela Talarzyk
6. Martin Bermudez
7. Cynthia Allen
8. Gary Oddi
9. Aaron Hoover
10. Andrew Letona
11. Susan Evans

All or some of the candidates could decide to run for election to the open Trustee Area 2 seat. Watch their answers to Tuesday's board member questions here: