Sonoma school board to interview, then seat, either Catalina Wetzel or Jessica Strachan

Two candidates have thrown their hat in the ring for the open trustee seat on the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board. One of them will become the new trustee on Tuesday night, when the board will review their qualifications, make a selection and swear in their favored candidate.

The Oct. 1 SVUSD board meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at 17850 Railroad Ave. and televised live on Comcast channel 27, KSVY-TV.

The seat became vacant when former school board president Nicole Abate Ducarroz last month announced her resignation in order to assist her daughter Nikita with her bid to compete in the 2020 Olympics. The deadline to apply was Sept. 23 at 10 a.m.

The two candidates who will vie for the appointment to the open seat representing the Dunbar School attendance area are Jessica Strachan, 49 and Catalina Velasquez Wetzel, 47. Both candidates live in Glen Ellen.

Strachan grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois and has lived in the Dunbar attendance area for the past 17 years. She graduated from University of the Pacific in 1992 and has lived in California ever since. She and her husband, Rincon Valley special education teacher Tom Kimball, have two children who are currently in grades 6 and 8 at Woodland Star Charter School.

Strachan's mother and sister are also teachers. Strachan works part-time as a personal assistant and estate manager. Strachan served for nine years on the Woodland Star Educational Foundation, including a stint as its president, and on Woodland Star's admin-finance committee.

Strachan wrote in her application that her work schedule now allows her 'the opportunity to put time toward the helping of all the children in Sonoma Valley.' Looking forward, she wrote that she 'would like to be a part of the team that helps make Sonoma Valley Unified School District a successful and exciting place to be educated.' In response to the question of areas of the district that need improvement, Strachan noted that the district 'would improve overall if it had more funding.'

Wetzel has owned and operated Catalina Skin and Body in downtown Sonoma for the past 19 years, and lived in the Dunbar trustee area for 18 years.

'As a long-time Sonoma resident and Latina community member, who also attended Sonoma public schools and sent two sons through our public schools, I provide a unique perspective and a voice for underrepresented populations in our school,' Wetzel wrote in her application.

Wetzel grew up in Sonoma and graduated from SVHS in 1991, and attended Santa Rosa Junior College. She has a senior at Sonoma Valley High School and a 2018 graduate, both of whom attended Dunbar Elementary.

In response to the application question about what aspects of the district need the greatest improvements, Wetzel said that the district is failing its 'socio-economically disadvantaged students and English Language Learners, who are not meeting basic academic standards.' Wetzel served on the Dunbar parent-teacher organization for five years and was also part of Dunbar's English Learner Advisory Committee. She said she sponsors workshops annually for SVHS students interested in exploring careers in the beauty and salon industry and has served as a senior project mentor. Wetzel noted in her application that she has direct experience hiring SVHS graduates.

'[This] provides me with a unique perspective about the strength and weaknesses of our schools,' she wrote.

A third candidate, Glen Ellen attorney John LemMon, withdrew his name from consideration on Wednesday afternoon, telling the Index-Tribune by email that he applied because he believed no one else had stepped forward.

'Recognizing now that there are two other local strong candidates, I will be removing my name from consideration for appointment, and wish the remaining candidates best of luck in this important endeavor,' he said.

As for the process, board vice president John Kelly said that the board will begin its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, with its regularly scheduled closed session but that the candidates cannot legally be discussed at that time. 'None of this process can occur outside of the meeting, except our individual review of the board packet and applications,' said Kelly.

During the regular session, District legal counsel Carl Corbin will remind the board and audience of the process of selecting the new trustee. As a group, the trustees will agree on a set of questions to be asked of both candidates and Kelly expects that Q&A segment of the meeting to take 20-30 minutes per candidate.

Kelly said that the board will take public comment prior to any deliberation or any action taken. The board will then deliberate in front of everyone.

'A vote will then be taken and whichever candidate garners the most votes will be sworn in as a trustee by Socorro (Shiels) on the spot,' he said.

'We're thankful that there are people that are ready, willing, able and eager to serve,' said Kelly. 'Serving as a trustee is a significant commitment of time and effort – it's a volunteer effort and being willing to devote time and energy to the wellbeing, the students of the district, that in itself is a commendable act.'

[The article has been edited to correct a mistake made with regard to Jessica Strachan's biography].

Email Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com