ANNEMARIE RANDLE-TREJO first was appointed, then elected, for a seat on the AUHSD Board in 2012. Since then, she ran and won re-elections in 2014, 2018, and ran unopposed in 2022.  Ms. Randle-Trejo was elected as President of the board three times, and served as Clerk and Assistant Clerk four times. She strongly believes in 21st-century public education.

Ms. Randle-Trejo was born in Los Angeles and raised in Garden Grove as one of seven siblings. Ms. Randle-Trejo was introduced to her devotion for volunteerism in her diversely growing community as a local library “Volunteen” and through Girl Scouts. She was voted as “Most Talented” of her Senior Class at Rancho Alamitos H.S. Quietly observing the changes in her town and falling in love with the spirit of patriotism, she ran in the Miss Garden Grove Pageant, winning her first locally held title as a runner-up in 1980 and 1981. She walked away with a second title, Miss Congeniality as well (this was the first year Garden Grove became sanctioned to the Miss America pageant).

With the interest in her hometown peaking, one of Annemarie’s first jobs was that of a “Cookie-Cart Girl” at the Disneyland Hotel. Continuing her career and life path, she found residence, continued her career, and chose to raise her children in Anaheim (both children attended AUHSD schools).

As trustee, she proudly serves on the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program board (NOCROP) and has served as President. She sits on the Greater Anaheim Special Education Local Plan Area (GASELPA) board, and was recently elected president as well. She serves as a liaison to the Anaheim City Council, the Anaheim foundation and is a delegate for the California School Boards Association. She has been a presenter for the annual educators Conference, served on the Policy Review Committee and Golden Bell validator. In addition, has completed her Masters in Governance from CSBA.

Music is one of Ms. Randle-Trejo’s first loves as she was a member of her secondary school choirs, and served in leadership roles including president. To begin her professional career, she attended Orange Coast College and received her Associate’s degree in Music and she has performed all over Orange County, Los Angeles, and Long Beach areas. However, with her family taking center stage, she turned her volunteerism toward local schools and the PTA over thirty years ago. She has been involved in hands-on education, advocating for families, but most importantly students became a calling. So naturally, her career in the Anaheim Elementary School District began.

In 1995, she worked as a Behavior Interventionist (IA) and became part of a collaborative team in the most rewarding and emotional tasking positions on campus, serving the needs of our most needy students. Ms. Randle-Trejo is a devoted employee with an over twenty-five year growing legacy at the Anaheim Elementary School District. She was  honored as Employee of the Year in 2018. Her experience has led her to work with six superintendents, promoting inclusiveness for students and families and spending time gaining insight on education that can’t be bought. She demonstrated that education is her passion as she completed a second AA degree in Teaching Education and continues pursuing her educational journey.

She has served AUHSD since 1999 on the secondary council, junior high and senior high PTA Boards and several site councils. In addition to PTA service, Ms. Randle-Trejo’s involvement included being co-chair of the Measure Z committee, the district’s Advisory Council, District Website committee, Student Incentive Task force, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, participated in several VAPA and athletic boosters,  and served several years on the Citizens Oversight Bond Committee . In the community, she served on the B.P. Theater Arts Commission Board, has been active in Girl Scouts for over ten years, served on the Anaheim YMCA board, and was a member of the Harps Guild (One of the oldest clubs formed in Anaheim). She has gained many accolades which include the PTA Honorary Service Awards from several school sites, The Friends of Education Award, Woman of the Year Award from Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk Silva, a notable archived Women of Color interview in CSUF’s Oral History Wing, but her most prized accolades come from the students with letters of thanks, hearts, and flowers.

Ms. Randle-Trejo is proud to be a board of Trustees for the Unlimited You! She is humbled and honored to serve the district and is proud of the meaningful work produced at AUHSD. She believes our Pledge, AIME, Career Pathways including Cyber Security, VAPA, Athletics, EL classes, AUHSD Talks, Film Academy, VSA Clubs, Parent Leadership, LCAP, Gear-Up, Democracy Schools,Community Schools, staff, employees, families, and students are second to none.
 

ANNA L. PIERCY was elected in 2006. She earned an associate of arts degree from Long Beach City College and a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Long Beach in social studies and geography, with a minor in art and English. She also has a California Standard Life, secondary-teaching credential from Cal State Long Beach.

Mrs. Piercy was a part-time salesgirl, bank clerk, aviation statistician, and clerical temp before beginning her 37 -year career in the AUHSD. From 1968 to 1979, she taught 7th grade geography, art, and reading at Trident Junior High School; speech and drama and art at Oxford Junior High School, 1979-1980; history, English, speech, drama and art at Lexington Junior High School from 1980 to 2005, when she retired.

Mrs. Piercy also served on the Cypress City Council from 1996 to 2004, as mayor in 2000 and mayor pro tem in 1999 and 2004. She serves on the board of the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program, and is a commissioner with the Anaheim Sister City Commission. She was on the Orange County Sanitation Board of Directors from 1998-2004, the Orange County Library Board from 1997-1999 and 2000-2004 and the Orange County Fire Authority, as an alternate, from 1997-98.

Mrs. Piercy lives in Cypress and has two daughters–Kenna, a teacher in the AUHSD, and Cameron, a medical assistant. They have given her five grandchildren she adores: Colin, David, Katelyn, Keely and Megan.

Jessica Guerrero was elected to the Board in 2022. She was born and raised in Anaheim, attended Anaheim public schools, including Horace Mann Elementary, Sycamore Junior High School, and Anaheim High School. She is a first-generation college student, and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Public Policy Degree with a focus in Education Policy from the University of California, Irvine.

As a student, Ms. Guerrero was highly engaged in clubs and activities at Sycamore Junior High School and Anaheim High School. She was involved in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and GEAR-UP programs throughout middle school and high school. She believed in the mission of these programs and served as a leader in both, including serving as AVID President during her junior and senior year. She also served as President of the Guiding Our Ladies with Dignity (G.O.L.D.) club during her senior year. G.O.L.D. promotes academic excellence and personal growth of the female population. In 2014, under her leadership, G.O.L.D. organized the first Women’s Conference with keynote speaker Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva.

While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Ms. Guerrero returned to AUHSD as a tutor for first-generation students, working with both junior high and high school students in the AVID program. At CSUF, she was a part of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, which prepares underrepresented, first-generation students for graduate school through research and scholarly activities. Through the McNair program, Ms. Guerrero participated in multiple research projects and wrote an original research thesis that was awarded the CSUF Scott Lee Research Award for outstanding research on global women’s issues.

Ms. Guerrero also worked at UC Irvine as a teaching assistant for the Undergraduate/Undeclared Advising Office, mentoring and advising university level students, including guiding them in choosing a major, acclimating to the university, and preparing to enter the workforce. As a teaching assistant, Ms. Guerrero earned a Certificate of Teaching Excellence in Evidence-Based Pedagogy; Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning Associate Level Certificate; and Student-Centered Course Design Certificate from UC Irvine’s Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation.

Ms. Guerrero continues to serve her community as a Policy Advisor for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, she works alongside government agencies and non-profit organizations to expand opportunities connecting our community to resources.

Ms. Guerrero attributes her educational and professional career to the programs she was involved in early on at AUHSD, and is proud to represent the schools and community she grew up in. Her family also graduated from Anaheim public schools and her father is an AUHSD classified school employee.

KATHERINE H. SMITH has served on the BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ANAHEIM UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT since 1996.

She attended Santa Rosa Junior College, the University of Nevada at Reno, and California State University at Hayward, with a major in elementary education. Mrs. Smith was an elementary teacher at Sherwood Academy; a volunteer in the presidential campaign of Sen. Barry Goldwater; volunteer in the grass-roots movement for Gov. Ronald Reagan; docent at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Birthplace; a substitute teacher for the Magnolia (Elementary) School District; the owner and operator of an interior decorating business, with clients such as The Brown Derbys in Hollywood and Beverly Hills; lecturer for a master’s course at USC’s Delinquency Control Institute (DCI) for international police officers on innovative ideas to reduce crime; lecturer on the topic at Chapman University, Long Beach State University, and Fullerton College; a member of the Parents’ Board at Servite High School; vice president of the substance and alcohol abuse committee at Servite; and real estate owner and manager for 49 years.

Mrs. Smith also founded GRASP (Group Resolving Anti-Social Problems), a nonprofit corporation, introduced at the Nixon Presidential Library and dedicated to finding and implementing solutions to gang-related problems. GRASP has promoted the implementation of school uniforms state and nationwide. She was one of eight national recipients selected from among 1,200 nominees for the George Washington Honor Medal, bestowed by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge in 1994. She was also the originator and co-founder of the National Coalition for Drug Policy Change, founded in 1993 at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Her effort stems from her belief that it is necessary to change the focus of the drug war. She is opposed to the criminal justice model, which has unjustly imprisoned African- Americans and Latinos and has broken our society. Instead, she believes in decriminalization, with medical intervention to combat the problem. The coalition was successful in gaining the inclusion of the Hoover Resolution in the 1994 Federal Crime Bill. Among the original signers of the resolution were noted economist Dr. Milton Friedman and former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz.

While serving on the Board of Trustees of the Anaheim Union High School District, Mrs. Smith served for 14 years as a Board Member of the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program (NOCROP). During her tenure there, she ensured public funds were used appropriately and helped negotiate a deal between AUHSD and ROP to create single-family homes from the dilapidated, deplorable, and unsafe NOCROP district office compound. This allowed the capability to purchase a new, safe, and contemporary NOCROP district office. In addition, she continued being a leader in workforce development and career occupation education by being an original founding Board Member of the Culinary Arts Institute.

A California leader in education, Mrs. Smith turned to statewide politics in 2002, when her ballot statement pulled her through the primary to launch a campaign for California Superintendent of Public Education, based on her accomplishments.

In her 23 years on the school board, Mrs. Smith is proud of the many positive innovations she has championed, including: a daily Moment of Silence and Inspirational Quote; classroom postings of The Golden Rule; academic attire for students and professional attire for teachers; a five-minute cleanup bell to teach respect for public and private property; clean restrooms; establishment of the Character Counts program; championing career technical education (CTE); and successfully placing cardiac defibrillators in all schools.

Her greatest achievement as the creator and innovator of Oxford Academy will live on for generations of students across the district. Oxford Academy, since its founding, has ranked number one in Orange County and within the top rankings nationally. Oxford Academy is noted for its high standards, outstanding parental engagement, and academic attire.

Mrs. Smith is also the driving force behind Mamas Hearts United designed to assist the community of mothers Worldwide who suspect their children are being recruited to join ISIS and assists mothers in identifying and combating this activity and obtaining law enforcement assistance. Pope Francis has recognized this effort through the intersession of Orange County Bishop Kevin W. Vann at the Christ Cathedral, formerly the Crystal Cathedral, in Garden Grove. Mrs. Smith is a believer in the philosophy put forward by anthropologist Margaret Mead, that “one should never doubt that a small group of committed citizens CAN change the world.” Her hope is to gather this group at The Vatican, and with the support of the Pope, that this will come to fruition.

A 55-year Anaheim resident, Mrs. Smith has been married since 1963 to S. Clarke Smith, M.D. They have two sons who are USC and Chapman University graduates and four grandchildren.

BRIAN O’NEAL has been a trustee since 2002. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree in business administration at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He continued his education at California State University Fullerton, taking courses in excellence in manufacturing management, and has completed certification courses for production and inventory control.

Now retired, Mr. O’Neal was in operations and manufacturing management for over 25 years with the most recent responsibility being with a Nissan Motor Corp. affiliate in Wilmington.

Mr. O’Neal is a member of the board of La Palma Intercommunity Hospital, a former La Palma city councilman and a former member of an OCTA transit committee. He also served on the board of the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program and is a commissioner with the Anaheim Sister City Commission.

His community volunteer activities include being a founding director and current president of the Scholarship Foundation of John F. Kennedy High School; participation as a Boy Scout adult leader for 33 years and still active; formerly serving on the Board of Youth 20/20; and acting as Neighborhood Watch Block captain for 35 years.

In addition, Mr. O’Neal was honored with the Navy Achievement Medal for service in Vietnam and was a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America’s Award of Merit. Mr. O'Neal lives in La Palma with his wife, Radhi. He has two sons: Scott, an orthopedic surgeon and Eric, a manufacturing engineer. He also has two step children: Rushika, an attorney and Ruwanga, a tea exporter/importer. Mr. O’Neal also has eight grandchildren.