New officers were elected and Trustees sworn in at the July 12, 2006, meeting of the Sacramento County Board of Education.
Elected President was Brian Cooley, who has served since July 2000 as Area 5 Trustee. He served as Board Vice President in 2001-02 and President in 2002-03. As a resident of Rancho Cordova for nearly 25 years, Mr. Cooley was a driving force behind the incorporation of the City of Rancho Cordova. He has served on numerous boards and committees, and currently serves on the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Sacramento Children's Home Board of Directors. Brian Cooley is a 1992 graduate of Cordova High School and a graduate of California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science degree in government. He works as a private land development consultant. His current term as Area 5 Trustee expires in June 2008.
Victoria L. Deane, who has served as Area 4 Trustee since 1992, was elected Vice President. Ms. Deane is a resident of the Citrus Heights area and works as an ombudsman with the Sacramento County Health and Human Services Department. She served as Board Vice President in 1997-98. Ms. Deane's term as Area 4 Trustee expires in June 2008.
Taking the oath of office for the first time was Natomas resident Gretchen Bender, elected in June 2006 to a term of four years as Area 2 Trustee. Ms. Bender works as Finance and Administration Manager with the Yolo County District Attorney's Office. Prior to that she served as Chief Fiscal Officer for Yolo County's Department of Employment and Social Services and worked several years as a special education teacher in Southern California. Joining Ms. Bender in taking the oath were two Trustees re-elected to four-year terms of office: Elinor L. Hickey (Area 1) and Christopher W. Woods (Area 3). Sacramento Superior Court Judge Talmadge "Tal" Jones administered the oath of office.
The offices of Board President and Vice President are held for one year. Trustees are elected for terms of four years. Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon serves as Secretary to the Board of Education.
The Sacramento County Board of Education works with the County Superintendent to provide numerous instructional programs, teacher/administrator training and administrative services through the Sacramento County Office of Education, as well as hearing student expulsion and student interdistrict transfer appeals and serving as the County Committee on School District Organization to hear transfers of territory and election issues.