School board taps community activist to fill vacancy

Martin Gonzalez picked over four other applicants

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Aug 28, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

The Portland School Board voted unanimously Thursday evening to appoint Martin Gonzalez to the position vacated by Dan Ryan earlier this year.

Gonzalez is a longtime community activist and the former executive director of the Portland Schools Alliance. He now works as an outreach coordinator for TriMet.

“Martin Gonzalez has been deeply engaged with schools in Portland for many years,” board member David Wynde noted in a written statement. “He brings great experience in engaging parents and families who have not traditionally had a voice in the district. His integrity, intelligence and commitment to to all students will serve the district well.”

Ryan resigned from the board in July to lead the Portland School Foundation. Gonzalez will serve the remainder of his term, which ends in June 2009.

If Gonzalez decides to run for a full four year term, he will have to file by March 2009 to be on the May ballot.

The board picked Gonzalez over four other candidates who applied to fill the vacancy:

• Steve Buel, a former teacher in the district who served as a school board member from 1979 to 1983.

• Rita Moore, a supervisor for an agency called Court Appointed Special Advocates, which helps families in Multnomah and Washington counties navigate the child welfare system.

• Mark Stephan, who lives in Kenton with his wife and teaches political science and public policy at Washington State University in Vancouver, Wash.

• Stephen Blanton, a civil engineer with Entrix, a natural resource management consulting firm in Southeast Portland.

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