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Meet the Candidates Running for County Board of Education

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Maribel Gonzalez
Published on:
September 16, 2024

Dear Contra Costa County Community,

This is your chance to dive deep into the issues that matter most, from school funding to special programs and everything in between.

Join 5C parent and youth leaders as we host a forum for candidates running for the Contra Costa County Board of Education Area 1 Trustee seat on Thursday, October 3 from 6:00-7:30 pm at Making Waves Academy. Doors open at 5:30pm. Dinner will be served.

Voters in two areas will be deciding who is going to represent them. The county school board oversees large amounts of school funding, oversees some schools, runs special programs for vulnerable student groups like teen moms and students in the juvenile justice system, and authorizes some charter schools.  

Maribel

Contra Costa County Board of Education

Anthon Caro, Area 1 Candidate

Anthony Caro is vying for the Area 1 Contra Costa County Board of Education position, which is currently held by Consuelo Lara. He is a Los Angeles native who moved to the East Bay to attend UC Berkeley. He is an active member of the U.S. National Guard and served in the U.S. Military from 2018-2022. He was a candidate for WCCUSD school board in 2018 but was not among the top three vote getters and was not elected. “I am running for the Contra Costa County Board of Education Area 1 to support our most at-risk students and close the achievement gap,” he writes on his website. His wife is a former United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) executive board member. His endorsements include the California Teachers Association, UTR, State Superintendent of Public Education Tony Thurmond, and current County Area 1 trustee Consuelo Lara.

Daniel Nathan Heiss, Area 1 Candidate

Daniel Nathan-Heiss is vying for the Area 1 Contra Costa County Board of Education position, which is currently held by Consuelo Lara. On his website he writes, "I am running for Contra Costa County Board of Education to improve student outcomes and ensure that every student has the resources to become the person they want to be." Daniel worked in the University of California system as an administrator and fundraiser, as the Executive Director of a scholarship granting non-profit organization, and as a non-profit management consultant working on projects at universities across the country. Since 2009, Daniel has created and facilitated courses on financial literacy, leadership, and personal and professional development. Daniel served on the Los Angeles Mayor's Crisis Response Team and was appointed to Richmond's Economic Development Commission. He is endorsed by the Contra Costa County Board of Education President, Mike Maxwell.

Yazmin Llamas-Morales, Area 3 Candidate

Yazmin Llamas-Morales is the current Martinez Unified School District Area 3 Trustee. She was elected in 2022 and her term expires in 2026. She was previously a candidate for City of Martinez mayor (2018) and city clerk (2020). In endorsing her for the city clerk positon, Our Revolution Bay Area, a nonprofit that supports progressive candidates, wrote that: “As a child of immigrant farm workers she understands the importance in increasing opportunities for success for all people.” She currently does not have a campaign website or published list of endorsements.

Vicki Gordon, Area 3 Candidate

Vicki Gordon is a former Martinez Unified School District Trustee. She is also a former Costa County Community College District board president and was a teacher in the Martinez and Pittsburg school districts. She was an appointed member of the WCCUSD Redistricting Commission, which revised trustee area boundaries before the 2022 election. She grew up in the East Bay attending Mt. Diablo public schools. Her endorsements include the California Teachers Association, the Contra Costa County School Education Association, State Superintendent of Public Education Tony Thurmond, and Contra Costa County Supervisor District 1, John Gioia.

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