ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES : Community College Districts

L.A. Times Archives

Oct. 31, 1994 12 AM PT

All four of the county’s community college districts will hold elections. The districts are trying expand education programs in an era of tight budgets and want to get residents more involved in college programs.

COAST

Boundaries: Serves Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Midway City, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, Stanton, Sunset Beach and Westminster

Enrollment: 53,000

Facilities: Coastline Community College, Golden West College, Orange Coast College, KOCE-TV (Public Broadcasting System affiliate station)

Issues: District must cope with cuts in state funding. It is also attempting to expand vocational and technical programs to match job market. Officials want to reduce administrative costs.

Open seats: One

Candidates:

Trustee Area 5 (one elected)

* Walter G. Howald*

Age: 55

Occupation: Attorney specializing in civil and business law

Qualifications: Served on the governing board since 1985.

* Kent S. Moore

Age: 55

Occupation: Work-experience coordinator and lead case manager, Tustin Unified School District

Qualifications: Holds California teaching credential; served on Orange County Grand Jury.

* Stuart Williams

Age: 80

Occupation: Marketing consultant

Qualifications: Former instructor at Coastline Community College and Orange Coast College.

NORTH ORANGE COUNTY

Boundaries: Serves Brea, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Placentia, Rossmoor, Yorba Linda and portions of Anaheim, Garden Grove, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Orange, Seal Beach, Stanton, Whittier and unincorporated areas of Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Enrollment: 70,000

Facilities: Cypress College, Fullerton College, Yorba Linda Learning Center

Issues: Officials want to maintain educational programs in the face of state funding cuts. District is also working to relieve classroom overcrowding and get more residents involved in its colleges.

Open seats: Two

Candidates:

Trustee Area 2 (one elected)

* A. John Gironda

Age: 68

Occupation: Retired aerospace engineer

Qualifications: Experience as a manager and contract analyst.

* Otto J. Lacayo*

Age: 59

Occupation: Executive with financial services company

Qualifications: Board member since 1985; former mayor of Cypress.

Trustee Area 3 (one elected)

* Lawrence Wells

Age: 55

Occupation: Project planner for Northrop

Qualifications: Financial planning experience; registered with the state as an environmental assessor.

* Barry J. Wishart*

Age: 52

Occupation: Family law attorney

Qualifications: Board member since 1985; worked as a college instructor.

* Michael Patrick Withrow

Age: 47

Occupation: Freight auditor for Sav-On Drugs

Qualifications: Holds a bachelor’s degree in political science; member of California Republican Assembly.

RANCHO SANTIAGO

Boundaries: Serves Santa Ana, Orange, Villa Park and Anaheim Hills, as well as portions of Garden Grove.

Enrollment: 40,000

Facilities: Two college campuses, two continuing education centers and a criminal justice academy

Issues: Faced with declining state revenue, district is attempting to maintain a budget surplus. Keeping campuses free of crime is also a priority.

Open seats: Three

Candidates: Trustee Area 2 (one elected)

* Charles W. (Pete) Maddox*

Age: 46

Occupation: Computer consultant/businessman

Qualifications: Board member since 1990; co-wrote district’s ethics policy and served on Community College League of California committees.

* Ralph Zehner

Age: 45

Occupation: Electrician/ businessman

Qualifications: Former president of Orange Taxpayers’ Assn.; served on La Veta Widening Committee in Orange. Trustee Area 3 (two elected)

* Lila Beavans

Age: 64

Occupation: Educational counselor/businesswoman

Qualifications: Member of the Orange Unified School District Board of Trustees for four years; longtime volunteer at schools in Orange and Villa Park.

* Euiwon Chough

Age: 64

Occupation: Owner of small business

Qualifications: Business owner for 16 years; holds master’s degree in chemistry; worked in aerospace industry for 26 years.

* Lawrence R. Labrado*

Age: 55

Occupation: Outreach officer at Cal State Fullerton

Qualifications: Appointed to board of trustees in January, 1994; member of Orange Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Advisory Committee.

* Danny Spencer

Age: 64

Occupation: Teacher/business adviser

Qualifications: Worked as teacher and principal for many years; taught at USC and served as school district superintendent in Mono County.

* Shirley A. Ralston*

Age: 58

Occupation: Community activist

Qualifications: Served on board of trustees since 1981; member of the Board of Governors for California Community Colleges since 1990.

SADDLEBACK

Boundaries: Covers several communities, including Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano, Tustin, Laguna Beach and Irvine

Enrollment: 31,300

Facilities: Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College

Issues: District might redraw seven trustee boundaries because although trustees are elected at large, each board seat is assigned to a geographic district. District might open a new campus or satellite education center in San Clemente.

Open seats: Three

Candidates: Trustee Area 2

* Joan J. Hueter*

Age: 62

Occupation: Retired high school teacher

Qualifications: Served on board of trustees for the past nine years; worked as high school teacher for 25 years.

* Mark S. Gaughan

Age: 40

Occupation: Public affairs director for San Diego Gas and Electric

Qualifications: Serves as president of the Saddleback College Foundation; former chairman of the National Issues Forum of Orange County.

* Brett W. Smith

Candidate has withdrawn Trustee Area 4