The Santa Clara County Office of Education on Tuesday announced the appointment of Rosemary Kamei to fill a vacant board seat.
Kamei, the executive director of the East Palo Alto after-school program Building Futures Now, will take over Trustee Area 3. That seat was previously filled by Leon Beauchman, the longest-tenured board member at the time of his resignation earlier this year.
Below is the full statement from the SCCOE:
Rosemary Kamei, Executive Director of Building Futures Now, an after-school and summer school program serving students from fourth grade through college in East Palo Alto, was unanimously appointed to the vacant Santa Clara County Board of Education (SCCBOE) seat in Trustee Area 3 at the May 6 Board meeting.
Kamei was selected by the Board from a field of five candidates to assume the seat made vacant on March 31 with the resignation of longtime Board trustee Leon Beauchman. She will serve until the vacated term of office expires in November 2016.
Trustee Area 3 includes Cambrian, Campbell Union, Luther Burbank, Moreland, Union and Campbell Union High school districts and a small portion of San Jose Unified and Santa Clara Unified school districts.
“Rosemary Kamei has a proven commitment to collaboration,” said Darcie Green, Board President. “In her current career, she has worked to gather stakeholders around the table to benefit children and increase access to educational opportunities for underserved populations. I believe she will be a great addition to our Board and truly dedicated to the success of our local students, schools, and districts.”
Kamei previously served as the Director of Fund Development for the Silicon Valley Education Foundation and the Director of the Santa Clara County Valley Water District for 17 years. She has also served as an adjunct professor at San Jose State University.
Board members were impressed by the qualifications, experience and dedication to community service displayed by all the candidates for the appointment. In addition to Kamei, they were Debbie Rocha, educator and counsel aide; Judy Chirco, former Cambrian School District Board Member and former San Jose City Council Member and Vice Mayor; Ramona Snyder, flight attendant, business owner and educator; and Robert Varich, current Moreland School District Board Member and small business owner.
