SMSD Board of Trustees: Launching the Next Generation

Did You Know...

Five of the Seven current Stafford MSD Trustees have January birthdays!

It is fitting that Board Recognition Month is in January!

SMSD Trustee Numbers

• 48 - Total number of Trustees
• 14 - Number of Board Presidents
• 17  - Number of Board Vice Presidents
• 11 - Number of Board Secretaries

1979 – A Historical Year for the Board

• The year 1979 was a historical one for SMSD. Stafford MSD was three years away from opening its doors to students.
• The late Martin Saldua was elected Board President that year, becoming the first Hispanic to hold that position.  Saldua served as Board President until 1986.
• Trustee Henry Malone became the first African-American Trustee elected to the Board. Malone served until 1985. Seventeen years later 
  (2002), Augdon Sampa, became SMSD’s first African-American Board President.

Longest Service Trustee

Stafford MSD Trustee, Greg Holsapple, has served on the SMSD Board for more than half of its existence, with a total of 24 years of service to the District.  Holsapple is the only Trustee with more than 20 years of service on the Board. He was first elected in 1991 and served until 1998 and was elected again in 2003 and has served since that point. He is the only SMSD Trustee to have held all three Officer positions on the Board: Board President from 2007-09, Board Vice President from 2003-05, 2006-07, 2009-11 and 2014-15, and Board Secretary from 2005-06, 2012-14 and 2015-16.

Other Long Tenures on the Board

Ettienne Zak, 17 years  (Board President  2011-2015)
Joe Longoria, 15 years  (Board Secretary from 1993-2001)
P.K. Louie, 12 years  (District’s First Asian-American Trustee, Vice President from 1994-00, President 2000-02)
Newest Trustee Last May, Ash Hamirani was sworn in as the 48th Trustee in SMSD History. There were several milestones as he became: The first South Asian Trustee in SMSD History  The youngest Trustee in SMSD History  The first SMSD Trustee born in the 1990s  The first SMSD Trustee born after the District was created

Female Leadership

• The inaugural SMSD Board had three female Trustees -- Williane Elliott (1977-85), Billie Gail Cash (1977-80) and Sophie Salinas (1977-78).
• Elliott became the first Board Secretary, serving from 1982-85.
• The late Margaret Havens, mother of Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella, became the first female Board Vice-President, serving from 1987-88. The Stafford Library is named in Havens’ honor. Four women have followed the late Ms. Havens in that role, most recently Virginia Rosas in 2013-14.
• Azalia Tennis became the first female Board President in 2003 and served until 2007. Cindy Hoelscher became the second female Board President, serving from 2009-11.

Longest-Tenured Board President

Today, the Board Presidency is rotated regularly.  In the 1990s, there were only two Board Presidents – Stephen Dorshaw (1987-91) and James Ratcliff (1991-00). Ratcliff was the longest-serving Board President in SMSD History (serving nine years – his entire tenure) on the Board. Prior to serving on the Board, Ratcliff taught and coached at Stafford High School. His widow, Kathy Ratcliff – a former SMSD Educator – is here tonight.