SAN MARCOS — A majority of the five-person Palomar College governing board will soon consist of newcomers following the results of the Nov. 8 election.
The board oversees the functions of the 31,000-student community college in San Marcos, with trustees elected to four-year terms.
Dr. Judy Patacsil, a San Diego Miramar College professor, will serve as the new representative for Area 1, overseeing the district area south of state Route 78 and west of Interstate 15.
Patacsil held the lead over opponent Frank Xu with 53.7% of the vote, and 20-year incumbent Mark Evilsizer did not run for reelection.
Ramona restaurant owner Michelle Rains defeated incumbent Kartik Raju in the Area 4 race, representing the eastern area of the district from the I-15 to the Salton Sea. Rains earned 56.9% of the vote over Raju, who was appointed to the board in the fall of 2021.
Incumbent Area 5 trustee Norma Miyamoto was defeated by challenger Jacqueline Kaiser, a regional director for MetLife, who earned 52.4% of the vote. Area 5 covers Fallbrook, east Oceanside, Bonsall and Camp Pendleton.
Miyamoto was elected to her first term on the board in 2018.
“On behalf of the Palomar College community, I want to welcome our new trustees to the governing board and thank our outgoing trustees for their service to this institution,” said Superintendent/President Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey. “We look forward to working together to further our mission and the future success of Palomar College.”
New board members will be sworn in during the college’s upcoming Dec. 13 meeting.
