Hollister School District trustees selected James “Mike” Baldwin as their newest and fifth board member this week.
On Tuesday, trustees appointed Baldwin, a Hollister resident, as their newest trustee in a 3-1 vote. The single “no” vote was cast by Peter Hernandez. Baldwin was selected after the former board president, Ben Flores, resigned in August because he had to move outside the district boundaries, an automatic disqualifier for the position.
Trustees voted in early September to make a provisional appointment instead of calling a special election, as this would be a much more cost-effective option for the district.
Baldwin will be sworn in during the regularly scheduled Oct. 27 board meeting. He is a field investigator for a repossession agency. Baldwin’s children attend Ladd Lane School and Rancho San Justo Middle School. He is a current board member for the Sunnyslope Christian Center and Men of Integrity.
In Baldwin’s written application, he praised the district for its committed people. He also asked if the district was doing enough now to prepare for the population growth projected in the next five years.
The board’s selection of the new trustee was a public process. Potential trustees had to fill out an application by Oct. 12. The existing four trustees interviewed all qualifying candidates in public session this week. Baldwin will serve in the seat until the next regular election.
