Foothill-De Anza Governing Board Appoints De Anza College Alum to Represent Central Sunnyvale

At a special meeting held Jan. 15, 2025, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Alexander Gvatua to fill a vacant position on the governing board in Trustee Area 2. Gvatua was sworn in to office by Chancellor Lee Lambert following the vote.

Gvatua is a graduate of De Anza College who serves as a policy analyst for Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee and an adjunct professor of political science at San Jose State University. He was one of five applicants interviewed by trustees to fill the vacancy created by the Dec. 1, 2024, resignation of Patrick Ahrens. Ahrens resigned following his election to the California State Assembly.

California Education Code provides that if a provisional appointment is made within the 60-day period following a vacancy, the registered voters of the district may, within 30 days from the date of the appointment, petition for the conduct of a special election to fill the vacancy. Should no petition be filed, Gvatua will serve the remainder of Ahrens' term, which expires in 2026. 

Transition to Trustee Area Elections

The district began the transition to trustee area elections in November 2022, with governing board members elected to represent Trustee Area 2 (central Sunnyvale) and Trustee Area 4 (Cupertino and small portions of west San Jose, southwestern Santa Clara, and northern Saratoga). Trustees elected to serve in at-large positions in 2020 continued serving in those positions until the election to represent Trustee Area 1 (Mountain View and portions of north Sunnyvale and northeast Los Altos), Trustee Area 3 (Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and portions of south Sunnyvale and northwest Cupertino), and Trustee Area 5 (Palo Alto and Stanford) in November 2024. More information about trustee area elections is available HERE.