MCKEON AIDE NAMED TO COLLEGE BOARD WILK, 47, CHOSEN FROM 21 APPLICANTS FOR CANYONS SEAT.Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer VALENCIA -- The College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. board has chosen Republican congressional aide Scott Wilk to fill its vacant seat, at least until an election can be held next year for the position. Wilk was chosen Wednesday night from among 21 applicants for the Board of Trustees board of trustees Politics The posse of thugs who oversee an institution's administration. See Board of directors. seat, left open by last month's departure of a longtime long·time adj. Having existed or persisted for a long time: a longtime friend; a longtime resident of Detroit. longtime Adjective board member. ``We had an exceptionally strong pool of applicants, which made it a very difficult decision,'' said board member Ernest Tichenor. ``But I think Scott brings something we haven't seen on the board before, which is a great deal of connections with Washington (and) with Sacramento,'' Tichenor added. ``And I think he will bring a new perspective to the board.'' Wilk, 47, is the district director for Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita. He will start serving on the board Sept. 13 and plans to advocate passage of the $160 million bond measure the college put on the November ballot. ``Delivering (educational) service is hard for us, because we don't have enough infrastructure in place to accommodate the demand for our product,'' he said. Using bonds for infrastructure is a good idea, even if it calls for a tax increase, Wilk said. ``I believe in small government when small government makes sense, and I'm a firmer believer in smart government,'' he said. Wilk fills a seat on the five-member board that was vacated by the departure of Ron Gillis. After 11 years on the board, Gillis cited changes in his work situation at Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. as the reason he couldn't fully dedicate ded·i·cate tr.v. ded·i·cat·ed, ded·i·cat·ing, ded·i·cates 1. To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate. 2. himself to the board anymore. Gillis' wife, Roberta, died in April of complications from a stroke. She had been president of the Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, Democratic Club. The board expected Gillis' replacement to face a November 2007 election to keep the post, and Wilk said he will run. The other finalists for the position were Alduino Adelini, adjunct counselor at the college; Michael Berger, an executive at Smith Barney Smith Barney is a division of Citigroup Global Capital Markets Inc., a global, full-service financial firm, that provides brokerage, investment banking and asset management services to corporations, governments and individuals around the world. ; and Steven Tannehill, a member of the Newhall School District The Newhall School District is a school district in the Santa Clarita Valley that serves the Valencia and Newhall communities within the city of Santa Clarita, California, as well as the Stevenson Ranch community in unincorporated Los Angeles County. board. ``I had in my mind what I thought would be the top candidate,'' Tichenor said, ``and it came to pass pretty much the way I thought it would.'' alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5253 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Scott Wilk has been named to the College of the Canyons board. Wilk, 47, is the district director for Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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