Frier picked for third seat after voters choose Swenson, Fong
 Laura Casas Frier of Los Altos came in last but still found a seat on the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees. |
Laura Casas Frier of Los Altos finished last in the race for two seats on the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees. Nonetheless, she found herself appointed to the board the day after the election.
Frier, with 17,959 votes, or 14.39 percent of the vote, finished well behind former Foothill College math professor Bruce Swenson (42,838 votes, 34.34 percent), incumbent Paul Fong (38,321, 30.72 percent) and former Sunnyvale City Councilwoman Julia Miller (25,423, 20.38 percent) who failed to get in. But Frier was the unanimous board pick for a third, appointed two-year seat left vacant by the Sept. 11 death of board member Andrea Leiderman.
“I’m thrilled and overwhelmed,” said Frier, 50, who has volunteered as a legislative advocate for the district and is a member of the Foothill-De Anza Foundation Board of Directors. Frier was chosen from among five candidates for the appointment, including Miller. She was sworn in immediately after the board’s decision was announced.
“My top priority will always be the students, and I look forward to continuing my advocacy on behalf of the district,” Frier said. “I want to be an ambassador to the community, showing that community colleges are indeed the engine of the economy.”
The board had elected to open the third seat to the public in general, rather than simply accepting the third-highest vote-getter - which would have been Miller. The board was required to fill the seat within 60 days of Leiderman’s death.
Swenson surprised some observers by finishing ahead of Fong, who was elected to his fourth four-year term on the board. The congenial educator earned the backing of several area newspapers and local legislators ranging from Congresswoman Anna Eshoo to county Supervisor Liz Kniss.
“Foothill and De Anza are terrific institutions, and I want to work to make them even better,” Swenson said. “I’m excited to be on the board and look forward to working with the other trustees to find solutions to the challenges facing the district.”
“It was heartening to have a field of excellent candidates, both on the ballot and for the appointment process, and it is a great pleasure to have Paul, Bruce and Laura in place - each dedicated to working on behalf of the students of Foothill-De Anza,” said board president and outgoing trustee Sandy Hay, who did not run for re-election.
The community college district serves students from Palo Alto and Los Altos to San Jose.
