MiraCosta College governing board members Rick Cassar, Raye Clendening, and Bill Fischer were officially sworn into new four-year terms during the December 15, 2022, Board of Trustees meeting at MiraCosta’s Oceanside Campus (board member Pedroza will be sworn in during the January 2023 meeting). At the same meeting, Trustee Frank Merchat and Rick Cassar were unanimously selected by their peers who were present to serve as President and Vice President of the board for the coming year.
Trustee Frank Merchat was selected by his peers to serve as President of the Board of Trustees. Merchat represents Area 4 in the eastern part of Carlsbad and was appointed to the Board in April 2015. Prior to his appointment to the Board of Trustees, Merchat served for five years on the MiraCosta College Foundation Board of Directors. During his time on the foundation board, he had the honor of being a member and chairperson of the development committee, as well as being a member of the finance committee. After working for thirty years in the computer and software industries, Merchat pursued his lifelong dream of building his own company. He is currently the founder and managing director of Night Oak LLC, a commercial real estate investment company.
I am honored to be elected president of the MiraCosta Community College District’s governing board. I am excited to continue our work at expanding student success and student access as we burnish our credentials as a leader in higher education,” explains Merchat. “I am passionate about working with my colleagues to position our college in anticipation and plan for the future.”
Trustee Rick Cassar was chosen by his colleagues to serve as board Vice President. Cassar represents Area 2, which includes Solana Beach, Cardiff, and Rancho Santa Fe. A first-generation college student and first-generation American, Cassar was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2014. A proud California resident since 1982 and a Cardiff resident since 1995, Cassar is a retired counselor, psychology professor, and department chair at the San Diego Community College District.
The selection of the Board President and Vice President came at the Trustees’ annual organizational session. Three of the board’s seven members took the oath office for new four-year terms.
Raye Clendening represents Area 6, the northernmost part of the District, and includes Camp Pendleton. The longtime educator served as a teacher and principal before overseeing student services and special education programs at the Oceanside Unified School District. She was appointed in June to fill the remaining term for the seat once held by trustee David Broad, who resigned. She has a bachelor’s degree in child development from Cal State Los Angeles and a master’s degree in educational leadership administration from Azusa Pacific University.
Bill Fischer represents Area 7, which includes northeast Oceanside. First elected to the Board of Trustees in 2010, Fischer taught English for 33 years at the State University of New York at Buffalo and moved to Oceanside following his retirement. The Navy veteran earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Williams College and a doctorate in English from UC Berkeley.
Anna Pedroza, who will take the oath during the January 2023 meeting, represents Area 1, which includes Del Mar and Carmel Valley, and was first appointed to the Board of Trustees in September 2017. The Del Mar resident has served in several regional, state, and national educational organizations, including the Association of California School Administrators. She holds a master’s degree in educational administration from San Diego State University.
All four ran unopposed in the June primaries, negating a need for a November vote.
“The MiraCosta Community College District is in good hands with its leadership team. I congratulate trustees Cassar, Clendening, Fischer, and Pedroza on serving another term and Frank Merchat and Rick Cassar on being selected board President and Vice President,” said Superintendent/President Sunita “Sunny” Cooke, Ph.D. “Their commitment, experience, connection to the community, and dedication to serving our students is invaluable.”
The MiraCosta Community College District includes the Main Campus in Oceanside, the San Elijo Campus in Cardiff, the Community Learning Center in Oceanside, and the Technology Career Institute in Carlsbad. In addition to its associate degrees, certificate programs, and transfer courses, MiraCosta is one of only 15 community colleges in California to offer a bachelor’s degree.
