The Santa Barbara County Board of Education has provisionally appointed longtime Santa Maria resident and education stalwart, Vedamarie Ruiz Alvarez Flores, to fill the Trustee Area 7 board member seat.
Vacant since the passing of former trustee Maggi Daane in November, Trustee Area 7 contains significant portions of the city of Santa Maria.
Flores is a retired elementary school teacher and longtime teacher trainer, who recently served a four-year term on the board of Santa Maria-Bonita Elementary School District (SMBSD).
As a provisional appointee, she will serve until November 2024, at which time a special election will be held, with the winner serving the last two years of Trustee Area 7’s term, until 2026.
Flores’ first meeting with the County Board of Education will be Feb. 8. She was selected by the board following an interview on Jan. 11 at the Santa Barbara County Education Office in Santa Maria.
Flores said she was thrilled with the appointment, and the opportunity to continue “the meaningful journey” of helping students grow and schools thrive.
“Advocating for student achievement is a priority,” she said. “My skills as a collaborator and relationship-builder will help foster this future work.
“I know preparation, time and participation are key in coming aboard and am ready for that role,” Flores said. “I believe the experience of growing up, going to local schools, working in the SMBSD, and raising our family in Santa Maria brings a benefit to Area 7 representation.”
Flores attended Santa Maria High School and Allan Hancock College, and earned her BA in Spanish with minors in physical education and English from UCSB.
She holds a teaching credential and a bilingual credential, and received her MA from Pepperdine University with an emphasis on multicultural education and leadership administration.
Flores said that while she is “technically” retired, she currently serves as a teacher supervisor for Cal Lutheran University’s resident teacher program, based in Santa Maria.
County Board of Education president Judy Frost praised Flores’ leadership in the SMBSD, particularly as the district has tackled important issues, such as enrollment growth and teacher training and recruitment.
“Her connections, roots, and experiences in the Santa Maria Valley make her an ideal addition to the board. She will serve as an excellent representative of the Santa Maria Valley, both within the realm of education and the community at large,” said Frost, whose own trustee area covers parts of the Santa Maria Valley, including Orcutt.
“Her extensive experience and perspectives as a parent, grandparent, educator, teacher supervisor, and former trustee in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District add value to the work of the county Board of Education,” said Susan Salcido, county superintendent of schools.
“Her extensive experience in education amplifies her understanding of the County Board of Education and the Santa Barbara County Education Office, and the work we do together to serve and support students, families, and schools across the county,” Salcido said.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Education sets SBCEO and County Board policies, approves the SBCEO budget, approves the SBCEO Local Control and Accountability Plan, and serves as an appellant board for inter-district transfer requests, student expulsions, and charter school applications.
More information from the California County Superintendents on the roles of county superintendents of schools and county boards can be found here, or on the Santa Barbara County Board of Education webpage.