Boskovich, Ogdon ready to tackle Ocean View school issues

Angelique Flores

The Ocean View School District welcomed two familiar faces to the

board of trustees as Barbara Boskovich and Pam Ogdon were sworn in during

Tuesday’s board meeting.

The 53-year-old Boskovich, a longtime Huntington Beach resident, moved

to the area justso her children could attend Ocean View schools.

A vocal opponent to the district and the city in renting out the

closed Crest View School site to Wal-Mart, Boskovich prides herself with

being “in tune to the community.” After encouragement from friends and

community members, Boskovich decided to run for a board seat.

Boskovich attended Hunter College in New York, but decided to get some

world-experience through travel. Having traveled to almost every state in

the United States, as well as Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic,

Canada, Japan, Denmark and Bermuda, Boskovich says she still likes

Huntington Beach the best.

A New York native, Boskovich came to the West Coast when her job

transferred her to California. During this time, she worked for the

government in the Department of Health Education and Welfare [now the

Department of Health and Human Services], Social Security Administration,

Department of the Navy and the Veterans Administration [now the

Department of Veterans Affairs].

Her career slowed down after getting married and having children. As

her children got older, she worked in marketing and promotions for

California Surf, a professional soccer team, and for Asics Tiger Corp.

At the same time, Boskovich volunteered at the now closed Crest View

Elementary as well as Mesa Middle and Ocean View high schools. In 1977,

she started the first AYSO pee wee soccer program in Huntington Beach and

served as commissioner, coach and referee.

“I’ve done a lot things, and it’s always around kids,” she said.

Boskovich now consults for Scholastic Coach Magazine for the Gatorade

Circle of Champions program.

Her two sons are now grown, and she has two grandchildren with whom

she enjoys spending her free time.

“Life has been good to me,” she said. “It’s time to give back.”

Like Boskovich, Ogdon wants to restore trust in the district and open

up lines of communication.

Ogdon, 39, has been a fixture at Circle View Elementary School where

her two children have attended for the past six years.

Another longtime Huntington Beach resident, she has served as vice

president of fund-raising at Circle View and is entering her third year

as Parent Teacher Organization president. Her desire to serve the

students has kept her busy at the school and now at the district.

“The need was there, they needed help fund-raising, help in the

classroom,” Ogdon said. “My husband and I made the decision for me to be

a stay-at-home mom, so it enabled me to do that.”

Like Boskovich, Ogdon ran for the position after much prompting from

her friends and teachers in the district.

“Initially I said no and rejected the whole idea,” she recounts. “But

they convinced me that I could serve not just one school, but serve 15

schools in the district.”

Ogdon earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at the UC

Irvine. She considered going into law, but instead got married and

started a family.

For a few years, she worked as a real estate agent. Now, she is a

consultant to kidney transplant patients at the UCLA Medical Center.

However, her energy has been centered on children. She is a team mom

for soccer, baseball, basketball and other youth sports.

Besides her hard work as a volunteer in schools and youth sports,

Ogdon has a reputation for her gourmet cooking, namely her special

balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing that has become a favorite among the

teachers.

The two ladies, who have been busy visiting every school and learning

the ropes, look forward to serving the Ocean View community.