San Benito County Superintendent Tim Foley will take a six-week
medical leave of absence from his position while he is in recovery
from prostate surgery.
Hollister – San Benito County Superintendent Tim Foley will take a six-week medical leave of absence from his position while he is in recovery from prostate surgery.
On Monday, Foley will undergo prostate surgery to remove “small but aggressive” cancer cells found during a routine physical. After a six-week recovery period he’ll return to his elected position. During his absence, Associate Superintendent Susan Villa will take over his duties.
Foley said he was confident in his district administrative team during his absence and was grateful that the cancer was caught so early on.
“These things happen, and I’m just glad you have so many options if you catch these in the early stages,” Foley said.
On Thursday afternoon, Foley sat behind a nearly empty desk, having spent the latter part of the afternoon cleaning it off. He spent his day meeting with the district superintendents, preparing for the county board meeting and holding meetings to prepare for his leave.
Foley said he can take the time to fully recover knowing that his office is in good hands. Plus, he’ll be available by phone and e-mail to keep tabs on the office.
He said he was certain there will be a seamless transition in his absence and the county office of education will “not be interrupted from its program.”
“I think the mark of good leadership is – if they’re not dependent on you,” Foley said.
Mike Sanchez, assistant superintendent in charge of alternative education, said Foley had kept the administrative teams informed and that would help make his absence easier.
“When you pay attention to teams and you build a strong team, it pays in dividends when something like this happens,” he said. “He knows he has a team he can count on and that we will continue to operate at the same level.
Sanchez said Foley will be “sorely missed” during the absence.
“On a personal level as his team, we are absolutely with him,” he said. “We wish him the absolute best with the whole situation.”
After his return in December, Foley said he expects life to return to normal. But he plans to get out his running shoes to start training for next summer.
“I guess I’ll be running Relay for Life rather than just watching from the sidelines as a supporter,” he said.
