Appointment has chairman irked

The process used to appoint two community members on the Sweetwater Union High School District’s Audit/Finance Subcommittee is being criticized for the way each member was selected.

Nick Marinovich, chairman of the district’s Citizen Bond Oversight Committee, said the selection process used to appoint Marisela Garcia Centeno and former San Diego Unified Superintedent William Kowba to the subcommittee did not follow the same protocol, process and procedures the district uses for the appointments of members to other committees.

In appointing members to the CBOC an evaluation and interview of candidates is conducted by an independent committee, which makes recommendations to the superintendent who then makes a final recommendation to the board. Marinovich said that process was not followed; the board of trustees handled all the interviews and selections of candidates.

Trustee Paula Hall said the district researched how other districts throughout California had appointed members to their finance committees and used that process. Hall also said the community members’ positions were new for this committee.

Hall said the district even reopened the application process when they did not receive applications for candidates they liked. It was during this reopening process that Garcia Centeno applied and got the position, she said.

Marinovich said he applied for the audit/finance committee and was immediately rejected from consideration without an interview because he said trustee Hall told him that she wanted “fresh faces” on the committee and that Marinovich would hold a conflict of interest serving on both the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee and the Audit/Finance Subcommittee.

Marinovich said he does not understand where the conflict of interest comes in, nor did the district get a legal opinion on the matter.

“This is nothing against the people they chose,” he said. “The issue is the process, it was not appropriate.”
Hall said the district did receive a legal opinion, which confirmed a conflict of interest for Marinovich serving on two committees. She said the Audit/Finance Subcommittee might oversee what the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee does.

Marinovich submitted an April 25 letter to all five board members detailing his concerns about the appointment process.

“My unease on moving forward with this item is not related to the lack of qualifications or qualities of the recommended member Marisela Garcia Centeno,” the letter states.

“My objection is the process used for the recruitment and selection of the audit and finance community members was flawed and could raise the issue of whether we are trending back to the same old bad behavior associated with the Sweetwater Union High School District.”

Kowba admits that Hall called him and suggested he apply for the committee.

“She called and asked if I was interested. If I was interested to feel free to submit an application.
Kowba said the process that was used is a consistent procedure with any school district when it comes to selecting community members on a school district committee.

“I thought the process was fair,” he said. “I followed the process which was to complete an application, send it in to the board office, and I believe it was placed on the board agenda and voted upon in terms of membership.”

Hall said she did reach out to Kowba because of his outstanding history in finance.

“I knew Bill Kowba was a retired CFO, I knew his background and I tried to get in-touch with him specifically,” she said. “(The community) didn’t like that, I don’t think.”