Fairfield-Suisun Unified board elects Helen Tilley president after contested reorganization

Helen Tilley was chosen as the next president of the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District governing board in a 4-3 vote during the board's reorganization meeting. The board also reelected Jack Flynn as vice president and unanimously appointed Eusebio as clerk.

The meeting opened with trustees praising outgoing leadership and discussing succession. Flynn nominated himself for president, saying he had served as vice president and chaired the governance subcommittee; he asked for the board's consideration. After initial balloting and discussion, trustee speaker 5 nominated Dr. Tilley for the presidency. The board then took a roll-call style voice vote that yielded a 4-3 result electing Tilley.

The reorganization prompted extended discussion about committee assignments and the governance process. One trustee criticized recent actions out of the governance committee and said they had "insisted on creating a resolution that would jeopardize the lives and the livelihood of several of our students," a charge raised during debate and disputed by colleagues on the dais. Trustees exchanged views on whether last-minute appointments set a "dangerous precedent," with some urging more private collaboration before making public changes and others defending the president's authority to set committee rosters.

Following the president's election, Tilley said she would prioritize orderly meetings and respect for members' time: "I used to be a judge, you guys. So I'm all about order," she said, adding that her goal was to "value all of our time and the time of our staff and of our community." Flynn was later elected vice president in a separate vote and will continue to serve in that role. The board also nominated and unanimously ratified committee chairs and membership, and the appointments were ratified by the board.

The board's reorganization concluded with a plan to begin work on committee charges for the coming year. No changes to district policy were enacted as part of the officer elections; the actions were formal organizational decisions required at the start of the board's governance year.

What comes next: the board has assigned chairs and members to governance, facilities, audit and joint district committees and will move forward with scheduled committee meetings and a series of information items and votes on curriculum and budget matters in January and beyond.