Race Begins For Seats on Fire and High School District Boards

Friday marked the deadline for political hopefuls to file for entry into races for local governing boards, such as the Menlo Park Fire Protection District Board of Directors and Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees.

In the high school district race, two incumbents have filed for re-election and two others have pulled papers to fill the seat left vacant by Trustee Don Gibson, who has not filed to run again.

Gibson, since he is an incumbent, has one more week to file for re-election. Newcomers to the race must have declared their intention by 5 p.m.

Lorraine Rumley, who served last year as the President of the Sequoia Union High School District Board, will run for another four-year term. The Redwood City resident, who joined the board in 1999, co-owns radio equipment engineering company Valon Technology. She has two children who are graduates of the Sequoia Union High School District and Redwood City School District. In past campaigns, she has been endorsed by California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Senator Joe Simitian, among others.

Menlo Park resident Olivia Martinez, who has served as a trustee on the district's board since 1999, will also run for re-election. She is a Peninsula native, attended Sequoia High School in Redwood City, went on to attain her Bachelor's Degree from San Francisco State, Master's Degree from UC Berkeley.  She also has an Advanced Credential in Educational Psychology from Cal State Hayward and a Doctorate from SF State. She is a retired administrator at Canada College, where she now teaches in the school's sociology department.

Carrie Du Bois, current member of the San Carlos School District Board of Education, hopes to join the Sequoia High School District Board of Trustees. The San Carlos resident works as realtor locally with In 2005, she was elected to the school board in San Carlos. She has three children, one currently attending Carlmont High School and two in the San Carlos school system. She is also a member of the San Carlos Chamber of Commerce, which awarded her recognition as the Citizen of the Year in 2005.

Stanford law school lecturer and Menlo Park resident Allen Weiner is also looking to join the board of trustees. He holds his Bachelor's Degree from Harvard and a law degree from Stanford. Weiner is an accomplished practitioner in the field of international law. According to his page on the Stanford Web site, he has advised policy makers in the State Department, as well as represented the United States in cases before the International Court of Justice.

In the race for two open seats on the Menlo Park Fire District Board of Directors, incumbent Bart Spencer has declared his intention to re-gain his seat. The Menlo Park resident has served on the board since 1999. He has racked up 25 years of experience in the field of public safety, including time as a firefighter, paramedic and emergency manager. According to his campaign Web site, as a member of the board of directors, Spencer has been successful in exploring the possibility of consolidating emergency services, as well as looking for opportunities to share those responsibilities with other neighboring departments.

Three others are vying for another available position on the board of directors.

Atherton resident Scott Barnum has pulled papers to join the fire board. In his official filing with the county, Barnum describes himself as a business professional. He has also worked as a real estate agent in Menlo Park. In past e-mails to the Menlo Park City Council, Barnum has advocated for increased government transparency, and has publicly spoken out against a proposal to grant raises to police sergeants. Barnum has also supported development on the Bayfront in order to provide more sports fields for youth, and has been heavily involved in the local Little League baseball program.

Menlo Park resident Robert Silano is throwing his hat back into the ring for a spot on the fire district board of directors. He recently ran for one of the three vacant seats on the board in 2009, but was defeated by Rex Ianson, Jack Nelson and Stephen Nachtsheim. Silano is a security consultant who has served professionally as a senior manager for the Drug Enforcement Administration. He has served on the Menlo Park Budget committee, as well as being a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission. His endorsements include the Menlo Park Firefighters Association, San Mateo County Sheriff Greg Munks, Menlo Park Mayor Rich Kline, as well as Ianson and Nelson, according to his Web site.

Virginia Chang Kiraly has also expressed interest in a position on the board of directors, and has pulled papers to file. She also ran for a seat on the board that was vacated by Peter Ohtaki when he left to join the city council, but was defeated. Kiraly, a Menlo Park resident, is a member of the Commission for Economic Development, appointed by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. She is a registered Republican who supported Meg Whitman in her failed campaign for California Governor. Kiraly also ran to become a member of the Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees in 2009, but was defeated by current trustees Alan Sarver and Chris Thomsen.