For 45 years, Richard Mayer has been a stable presence shaping the Goleta Union School District. 

But in December, the distinguished UC Santa Barbara psychology professor and researcher will say goodbye to his Trustee Area 1 seat on the district’s board. He has decided not to run for re-election.

“I finally came to the conclusion: 45 years, that’s good,” he told Noozhawk. “I think things are in good shape.”

He noted that there are still issues facing the district, such as climate, technology and affordability.

Goleta native Eric Bowers, a Sonos attorney and school district parent, is poised to take Mayer’s place.

Mayer leaves behind an impressive run on the board. He was elected 11 times and is the longest-serving board member in Santa Barbara County.

But running for the school board was not something Mayer saw for himself when he moved to the South Coast in his mid-twenties.

The former Midwestern set his eyes on California and the Pacific Ocean for the first time after accepting a professor role at UCSB in 1975.

“This is not Ohio, that’s for sure,” he recalled thinking after moving. “It seemed like a very magical place.”

He brought along his wife and young son and has been here ever since. Mayer and his wife also have two other children. They all attended Goleta schools.

He decided to join the board about five years after moving to the area because he was unhappy with conditions at Ellwood Elementary School, where his oldest son was attending at the time, Mayer recalled. 

He felt the school was neglected and his son was not receiving a “challenging” education.

Before deciding to run for the school board, he said he didn’t really know what a school board was or how it operated. 

“We are responsible for 3,400 little kids, and you have to take that really seriously,” he said. 

A valuable lesson he learned — and one Mayer believes all school board members must learn — is how to be a team.

“I think that is hard sometimes for school board members who just think, ‘I am going to go in there and change everything. It doesn’t quite work like that,’” he said.

Mayer even ended up writing and publishing a book in 2011: “How Not to Be a Terrible School Board Member: Lessons for School Administrators and Board Members.”

In the book, he chronicles 18 real-life scenarios of — in his words — “really stupid things board members have done.”

Reflecting on his time on the board, Mayer is most proud of advocating for small class sizes, the district’s curriculum and expanding its after-school program.

But there have also been lows. 

Mayer recalled the decision to close two schools, El Rancho and El Camino Elementary Schools, in the 1980s due to declining enrollment and, years later, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Closing the schools was “definitely the hardest,” he said. 

He has helped hire six superintendents, including Mary Kahn, the current superintendent, and Bill Banning, who now serves on the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education.

“I think what stands out most is that, after 45 years, his commitment to making our schools the best they can be has never wavered,” Kahn told Noozhawk in an email.

Mayer has been a “steadfast advocate for students” who prioritizes small class sizes, financial stability and high-quality educational experiences, she added.

“His commitment to them has helped shape the district we are today,” Kahn said.

Banning was gracious about Mayer’s mentorship when Banning was appointed to the superintendent role in 2012. He noted the important relationship between the board and district leaders.

“He is articulate and sensitive, and it was very clear from every interaction I had that his interest was for the students, families and community of Goleta,” Banning said.

He also applauded Mayer’s decades of public service, calling it “unheard of.”

He added: “It’s unprecedented the value that (it) can bring to a school district, to have a level of consistency in leadership for that long.”

As Mayer prepares to leave the board, he advised his colleagues and future board members to focus on what’s best for the students.

“Work with respect for each other as a team and do (your) homework, get input from all sides and have an honest discussion; come to a decision, and once (you) come to a decision, then (you) all have to be kind of behind it,” he added. 

While Mayer is leaving his school board post, he will continue teaching and researching at UCSB.

He can’t retire, he said.

“I can’t believe they pay me to do this,” he joked. “It’s my dream job. I love what I do there.”