Hergesheimer re-elected San Dieguito board president in her last term

The San Dieguito Union High School District board elected officers at its Dec. 17 meeting as two long-time board members stated that this would be their last year in office.

President Beth Hergesheimer, who has been on the board for 16 years, and Joyce Dalessandro, who has been on the board for 22 years, have said they will not be running in November 2020.

Hergesheimer, who represents Trustee Area 2 (Encinitas and Carlsbad) has lived in Encinitas for over 20 years and all three of her sons graduated from district schools.

Dalessandro represents Area 4, which includes Carmel Valley and Del Mar—both of her daughters graduated from Torrey Pines High School.

At the organizational meeting, board members Hergesheimer and Vice President Mo Muir were nominated for the president role—Muir was nominated by Melissa Mossy and Hergesheimer by Dalessandro.

“Beth has been an outstanding president. She puts in countless hours into her often-thankless job,” Dalessandro said. “It’s not common knowledge of the time and dedication it takes to be an effective board president and work in partnership with board members, district staff and community. She makes herself available all the time, she is steady, even-tempered and she’s a trustee who rarely is rattled by things going on in the audience and in the community.”

Hergesheimer said that in her last year, she would like to wind up her service on the board as president. The vote was 3-2, with Muir and Mossy voting for Muir.

Hergesheimer said she was grateful for the opportunity to wind up her service in the position of president and remarked that the board has been working really well as a team for the past year, “We have come a long way.”

For vice president, Mossy nominated Kristin Gibson, Muir nominated Mossy and Gibson nominated Muir to continue on in her role as vice president. Muir was voted in unanimously.

Mossy declined the vice president nomination as she said she was the most junior member of the board with the least amount of time serving on school boards but she was willing to step in as clerk. All of the board supported Mossy as the new clerk.

“I think you have an amazing enthusiasm for this and a passion that I have never seen,” Muir said of Mossy. “I think you bring energy and ideas that I would like to see come to fruition.”