January 23, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Trost) RE: BOARD SELECTS STAFF FOR POLICY ANALYSTS The Board of Education has selected two staff members to fill the newly-approved positions of policy analysts. This is the first time the local board has had policy analysts reporting only to board members. Selected to fill the two positions are Rebecca Foelber Phillpott and Jerome Orlando Torres. Phillpott has been the district's legislative assistant since April 1993. Her duties included supervising and coordinating legislative information and activities in the district's central office. She analyzed legislative proposals, bills and policy issues and prepared recommendations for district positions on legislation, working with the district's legislative programs director, Page O'Connor, who spends most of her time in Sacramento. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from San Diego State University and previous experience as a field representative for former Senator Alan Cranston and former Assemblyman Jim Costa. She also worked as an account executive for Stoorza, Ziegaus & Metzger in the public affairs arena. Torres comes to the district from the County of Santa Cruz, where he served as a senior administrative analyst for the county administrative officer. He previously served as an administrative analyst for the City of Long Beach. Other work experience includes preparing and analyzing million-dollar annual budgets for city and county departments, project management, program development and contract administration as well as conducting organizational, legislative and public policy research and analysis. He has written major grant proposals that have secured several million dollars of public funding in the areas of public safety, transportation and energy. Torresı exposure to child development and K-12 public education comes from his experience in the City of Long Beach as past board president for LULAC-Headstart and as the founder/president of the Hispanic Advisory Committee for the superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District. Torres holds a bachelorıs degree in political science and a masterıs of public administration from California State University, Long Beach. He also was a part-time instructor at Long Beach City College, where he taught "Introduction to American Government." In their roles as policy analysts to the Board of Education, Phillpott and Torres will help with the development of board committees and act as liaison with local, state and federal governments as well as the Chamber of Commerce. They also will be assigned to analyze district work in such areas as budget development, special education, standards, facilities, accountability and student testing, second language, integration, parent involvement and human resources. They will work with district advisory groups and provide constituent services to the five members of the Board of Education.