The San Mateo County Community College District appointed its newest trustee on Wednesday, Feb. 8, after interviewing eight applicants for the position.

Wayne Lee, who served on the Millbrae City Council until the end of 2022, will take over the board seat for Trustee Area 3, left vacant by Maurice Goodman, who was elected to the Millbrae City Council in November. Area 3 covers the San Bruno, Hillsborough, Millbrae and Burlingame region of the district, which stretches from Daly City to Redwood City and down the coast.

The board also received applications from Alexander Melendrez, a lead for YIMBY Action Chapter Peninsula; Heywood Mansergh, a freelance writer; Linda Lees Dwyer, a lawyer, who served on the San Mateo Union High School District governing board for 17 years; Marco Durazo, a professor at University of San Francisco; and Wilma Lee, vice chair of the San Bruno Park School District's Citizen's Bond Oversight Committee.

Lee's background

Lee, who is president and executive director San Mateo County Asian Pacific Islanders Caucus, said in his application that the benefited from community college education, having attended City College of San Francisco where he received his associated degree in engineering.

"The district has pursued many innovations such as staff housing, free tuition options and student housing," Lee said in his application. "I will work to build upon these achievements and look to new opportunities to improve student mobility and food security and expand partnerships with local school districts to help underserved students enter college."

He noted that he will bring nine years of experience in budgeting, labor negotiations, public policy, government and nonprofit relationships and public/private partnerships, and four years as a director on the Association of Bay Area Governments governing board.

Lee was also the founding president of the Millbrae Education Foundation.

He sought another term on the Millbrae council in November 2022, but was defeated by newcomer Angelina Cahalan.

Lee holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from University of California at Berkeley.

Appointment process

On Dec. 20, the board voted to make a provisional appointment rather than holding a special election to fill the vacancy created by Goodman's resignation on Dec. 13, according to a district press release.

The application period opened in January.

Lee will hold the Trustee Area 3 seat until the next governing board election in November 2024.