The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District’s Board of Education filled its vacant seat during a public meeting Tuesday, selecting Todd Lefemine to represent Trustee Area 3, left open after the resignation of José Juan Ibarra.

The board chose to make a provisional appointment, a process that included a public interview with Lefemine, the sole candidate, rather than hold a special election.

“Thank you for applying for the provisional seat,” board president Chris Johnson said to Lefemine at the start of the interview. “It’s a duty that has a calling, and we all have that calling, so we appreciate you being here.”

Lefemine introduced himself as a longtime public servant.

“I’m a community member. I serve our community,” he said, citing more than 22 years with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and 13 years of military service before that. “Other than that, I’m just a parent.”

As a father with two children in high school, he said he would bring a valuable perspective to the board.

“I get a lot of feedback from them about where their sense of feeling is or how the school’s going,” Lefemine said. He pointed to his past experience on school site councils as something that would help him “get up to speed quickly.”

Lefemine said he was motivated by a desire to serve.

“I’m willing to make myself uncomfortable, do the uncomfortable things for the community,” he said.

Board member Sheri Noble praised his background in public service.

“You’ve served our country,” Noble said. “I respect that tremendously, and then serving our community as a first responder is huge, too.”

Following the interview, a motion to appoint Lefemine passed unanimously. 

He was immediately sworn in and took his seat with the other board members for the remainder of the meeting.

The board’s regularly scheduled meetings are usually on the third Tuesday of each month and begin at 5:30 p.m. The board room is located in the Administration Office at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, 2975 Mission Drive in Solvang.