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Longevity in an elected position is often a sign of effective leadership and Anne White's 32-year tenure on the Livermore school board proved to be a testament to that. Although she was not chosen by voters to serve another term, she leaves behind a commendable legacy lauded by her former colleagues.
At its Jan. 17 meeting, the current Board of Education recognized White's contributions to the Livermore education system in a special tribute that included a video montage featuring photos of her through the years.
After the presentation, White shared some outgoing words of advice and encouragement to the current board.
"Go to the spelling bee. When a teacher invites you to her classroom, go. Go to the plays. Go to the music concerts. That's the fun part," she said, adding that she knows that sometimes the work can be "unfun" but the good parts make it all worthwhile. "We all are here for the students and we all mean well for them," she said.
Prior to the Nov. 8 general election, White was the longest serving member of the board. She was first elected in 1990.
"Mrs. White served eight consecutive four-year terms. She worked with five different superintendents – which is half the total we've had in the district's history," said Superintendent Chris Van Schaack during the recognition ceremony.
He continued, "She was a trustee for the graduation of over 25,000 students from Livermore schools and worked on countless committees and subcommittees. She attended over 600 board meetings and helped to commemorate both the beginning and the ending of many storied careers in this district. She has participated in the highs and the lows of over three decades of this educational institution. She will forever be remembered as the district historian and for being a trustee committed to asking probing and challenging questions."
The trustees who worked with White also shared farewell remarks.
Kristie Wang and Yanira Guzman – who were both elected in 2020 and are still in their first terms – said that they considered White a mentor as she answered their questions and offered them guidance when they first decided to run for seats on the board and after they won.
Board Clerk Emily Prusso also said she learned a lot from White over the years.
"I've learned the ins and outs of being a board member, how to be on a committee, how to participate in meetings and how to wave in parades – which is the most important part," she said humorously.
White ran for reelection in 2022 along with fellow incumbents Prusso and Craig Bueno. While Prusso and Bueno held onto their spots on the board, White fell short of receiving enough votes to reclaim her seat. She came in sixth place out of nine candidates, according to the official election results certified by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters' Office.
The newest trustee who clenched the third seat is Steven Drouin. He was sworn in at the board's Dec. 13 meeting.
