BOARD NAMES MEMBER\Hoskinson wins COC trustee post.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer

Local businessman and former board member John Hoskinson was appointed Saturday to the board that governs College of the Canyons, filling a vacancy left when a trustee resigned late last year.

"I'm looking forward to working with the board and do everything that I can do," said Hoskinson, president and CEO of Gruber Systems Inc.

This is the second time Hoskinson was named to the board. He was appointed in 1987. Hoskinson, who said he has been involved with the college in one way or another since 1983, has attempted to run for the office several times but has never been elected.

"My primary interest (is) to address the major issues of funding," Hoskinson said. "The college is not adequately compensated for the number of students. We need to have more resources."

"We had excellent applicants," said Michelle Jenkins, president of Santa Clarita Community College District. "But we wanted someone with ties to the business community, and someone who was familiar with the college."

Hoskinson serves on the Educational Benefits Corp., which is appointed by trustees to manage and find ways to generate money from the excess land on campus, but will now have to give up that post.

Previously, Hoskinson served on the search and interview committee that selected Superintendent Dianne G. Van Hook.

Chosen from eight candidates who applied for the seat on the five-member board, Hoskinson will be sworn in Jan. 17, replacing Ernest G. Moreno, who resigned in November to dedicate more time to his new job as a community college administrator outside the area.

The board opted to appoint Moreno's successor rather than spend $250,000 for a special election. Hoskinson will finish the remainder of the term, until the next election in November 1997.

Among the candidates seeking the appointment was Robert W. Wade, who dropped his bid for re-election to the Newhall County Water District board weeks before the election.

The other applicants were Arthur V. Sohikian, an assistant director of the Metropolitan Transit Authority's government relations; Daniel R. Cowden, a special assistant to the MTA chief of police; Vera J. Johnson, a community activist; Donald R. Gaskin, a principal at North Valley Occupational Center; John A. Scheich, a consultant; and Robert A. Stevenson, an engineering professor at East Los Angeles Community College.

Frank M. Moss, vice president of accounting services for RGP & Associates Advertising; and Kenneth W. Keller, owner of Keller and Associates, withdrew their applications Friday.

The Los Angeles County Education Code required the board to make a selection by today, 60 days after announcing the seat would be filled by appointment.

Candidates were given three minutes Saturday to make opening statements, 10 minutes to answer questions from trustees and two minutes to make a closing statement.