Board of Trustees Area 5 Seat Vacancy

3 days ago

2 min read

By Luke Lara, FA Ombudsperson

Trustee Ann Crosbie submitted her resignation effective September 7, 2026, and at the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees meeting on September 10, 2026, the board approved the recommended action to fill the Area 5 seat vacancy by provisional appointment. The college will have sixty days from the effective date of resignation, pursuant to Education Code §5090 et seq., to make the provisional appointment to fill the vacancy. The application is available on the Board of Trustees website. This application must be received no later than October 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. Candidate interviews will take place at the Board of Trustees Workshop at the CLC on November 5, 2026.

This news comes at a time when the upcoming elections in November will introduce at least one new member to MiraCosta’s Board of Trustees. Trustees Frank Merchat and Jacqueline Simon are not up for re-election this November 3, 2026. Trustee Raye Clendening’s term concludes this December and she will not run for re-election. According to the County of San Diego Registrar of Voters, Anna Pedroza is running unopposed for Trustee Area 1, Rick Cassar is running unopposed for Trustee Area 2, Heather Conklin is running unopposed for Trustee Area 7, and newcomer Joey Aszterbaum is running unopposed for Trustee Area 6.

While MiraCosta Faculty have recently benefited greatly by a board that values educators and student success, Ann’s resignation presents an opportunity for faculty and the FA to identify and endorse a pro-faculty, pro-worker’s-rights candidate for the provisional appointment. The Board makes decisions that directly affect faculty working conditions, including compensation, benefits, job security, and our ability to advocate collectively for ourselves and our students. It is important that the next trustee understands the value of organized labor and respects the role of faculty unions and collective bargaining in maintaining a strong college.

Trustee Area 5 covers Carlsbad, Oceanside and some parts of Vista. You can use the County of San Diego Registrar of Voters “Find your elected representatives” feature to identify whether a person’s address lies within the Trustee Area 5 boundaries.

Last year, the FA developed an endorsement process for MiraCosta College Board of Trustee candidates. In the case for a provisional appointment, the FA would waive 60-day requirement for the FA Political Endorsement Questionnaire.

Resources to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of college trustees include the Community College League of California (CCLC) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT).

Please reach out to me or any FA executive member if you have any people that you would strongly recommend for this opportunity. This is a critical moment for us to ensure that the Board remains supportive of faculty and our working conditions.