When, How to Apply for COD Board Vacancy

Trustees Will Appoint New Member to Fill COD Board Vacancy

PALM DESERT – The Desert Community College District Board of Trustees voted at its regular meeting April 21 to appoint a representative to fill the Area 3 vacancy left by the resignation of Trustee Dr. Fred E. Jandt last month.

Former Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden is the first and only candidate to publicly express interest.

Based on the California Election Code, the District must take the necessary steps to
fill the vacancy within a specified timeframe.

At the Friday, April 21, Board meeting, Trustees recommended an appointment be made, rather than holding a special election for the open seat.

Next, the Board will post notices of the vacancy, which will include instructions on how members of the public who are interested in serving as the appointed Area 3 representative can submit applications for consideration.

The appointed representative will serve until the next regularly scheduled election for governing board members, which is Nov. 5, 2024.

Full information on how to nominate or apply for the Area 3 seat will be available on
the Board of Trustees website on April 24, 2023:
https://www.collegeofthedesert.edu/community/board-of-trustees

This seat is expected to be filled by May 26, 2023, according to a college-issued news release.

Trustee Jandt was first elected to the Board in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020, with his current term set to expire in 2024. Jandt represented Area 3, which includes portions of Palm Springs and Cathedral City. He announced his resignation from the Board, effective March 31, 2023, for health reasons.

The Board of Trustees meetings are streamed live via the College of the Desert YouTube channel and can be watched here. More information about College of the Desert can be found at collegeofthedesert.edu.