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Interviews are underway at the Maricopa County Community College District as officials there work to fill a seat on the governing board left empty when Ben Miranda passed away in November.
The three finalists, out of nine applicants, are Catherine Miranda, Carlos Galindo-Elvira and Alfredo Gutierrez.
See also: –Ben Miranda, Former Lawmaker, Dies at 64
Catherine Miranda, a state representative and Ben’s wife, is among those seeking an appointment to the District 5 seat — a post that represents the Estrella Mountain, Gateway, and South Mountain community colleges and the Maricopa Skill Center.
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Miranda has also recently announced her candidacy for a District 27 seat in Arizona Senate.
Carlos Galindo-Elvira is the Chief Development Officer at Valle del Sol, and Alfredo Gutierrez is a former state senator who’s been in Arizona’s political arena for decades.
In a post from her senate campaign website, Miranda says her late husband “helping the community and fighting for what is right” is what inspires, motivates, and encourages her.
She’s running for public office, she says, in part, to carry on the legacy of the Miranda name.
Ben Miranda, an attorney and former lawmaker, died on November 15 of a heart attack.
A spokesman for the Colleges’ District says that following today’s interviews, the panel conducting the candidate evaluations will forward as many as three names to Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools Don Covey.
Or, it could just be one name.
The team making that recommendation consists of the College District board president, district chancellor, and faculty and support staff representative from a college in the affected district.
Covey, who will conduct his own candidate evaluations, can go with the College District’s recommendation or make an independent selection.
The final decision will be made by January 20.
The individual appointed to the vacant seat will serve until November 14, at which time that seat will be up for election.
The other six applicants for the post were Krishna Pinnamaneni, Manny Murillo, Jesus A. Rubalcava, David H. Singer, Scott A. Berlin, Paul Valach and Michelle R. Delgado.
