School district’s Black becomes president

Holiday cheer accompanied the annual changeover in leadership at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, as members presented outgoing board President Martha Fluor with gifts: a portable desk, an alarm clock (Fluor isn’t reputed to be a morning person) and gift cards to Starbucks and South Coast Plaza.

Though board members all kept their spots this year, their positions shifted. Having had her turn, Fluor went back to being a regular board member, though she has a new job ahead as vice president of the California School Boards Assn. Fellow members all wished her well in her lobbying for the group in Sacramento.

Vice President Dana Black slid up to the top spot. Board member Karen Yelsey became vice president.

Fluor said that she was proud of her year, and that the district had much to celebrate.

“This has been a phenomenal year,” she said. “We’ve dedicated Jim Scott Stadium and the TeWinkle gym, we’ve launched and done forums for our upcoming magnet school, we’ve reconfigured elementary schools, and it was all within budget. I’m not saying there aren’t difficulties coming up, but we are committed to meeting that.”

Fluor also praised her fellow board members.

“This is really a governance team, probably the finest group of individuals I have had the pleasure of working with,” she said.

Black offered some praise in return for Fluor.

“You have served us well,” she said.

While acknowledging the hard times facing the state, Black listened to reports from an independent financial audit of the district and said she was glad to be in Newport-Mesa’s position, planning conservatively and setting money aside.

“I feel really blessed to be in this position, but I feel sad for the situation some other districts are in,” she said.

MICHAEL ALEXANDER may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or at [email protected].