Board of Trustees

​​​Sal Tinajero, Vice President​

Sal Tinajero ​

Sal Tinajero serves as Trustee for Area 3. He is a proud husband, father, Latino, and product of Southern California and has passion for education and serving our community. For over 25 years, he has held various roles in Orange County that range from instructor at Fullerton Union High School, to Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) Board Member to Mayor Pro Tem of Santa Ana’s City Council.

Tinajero has been recognized on multiple occasions for his tireless efforts to serve the community, including being named the 2005 National Hispanic Teacher of the Year, the California Golden Bell recipient in 2009 and 2015, and the California Teacher of the Year in 2018. He was a guest at the White House in 2014 to participate in President Barack Obama’s educational symposium regarding the affordability of secondary education. He was also invited to then Vice President Joe Biden’s house in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month in September 2012.

His goal as a member of the Rancho Santiago Community College District  Board of Trustees is to assure affordable tuition so that everyone has access to a college education. He strives to create paths toward employment by cultivating and collaborating with businesses, and pursues partnerships that can strengthen educational opportunities to help revitalize the District’s service area and attract business.

Tinajero earned his Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and a Master of Arts in Cross Cultural Education from National University in San Diego, California. He currently serves as a Communication Program Specialist for Santa Ana Unified School District, and started the nationally awarded SAUSD Speech and Debate program in 2016. Under his leadership SAUSD now has claim to three national titles.

Vice President Tinajero can be reached by email.

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