Below is the text of a release received from Mr. Chavarria:
[text as received] Today I am officially announcing my intention to seek election to the office of Long Beach School Board Member in April of 2010. If elected, I intend to represent the residents of District 3 and be their voice on the school board. I will be watching our State Budget and District Budget to assure in protecting teacher and employee's job. I will fight in providing the best education to every student, keep class sizes reduces, and better prepare students for college for all students who choose to pursue it.
Raymond Chavarria - Biography
Raymond Chavarria is a resident, community activist and youth advocate of more than 25 years in Long Beach. He currently serves, as the associate/project director for the United Cambodian Community (UCC), overseeing the nonprofit's health education and outreach, food distribution and youth programs to the Cambodian and Latino communities.
Prior to working with UCC, he served as a field representative for the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender McDonald (District-37) and worked as a legislative assistant for then Councilmember Laura Richardson (District 6) and then Councilmember Jenny Oropeza (District 1).
For 15 years, he worked as a supervisor for the Department of Social Services of Los Angeles County and Orange County. He was a teacher's assistant for six years in Long Beach Unified School District.
In recognition of his work with youth and in the community, Mayor Beverly O' Neil appointed him as a Long Beach delegate to the Promise for Youth conference in 2000 and as a charter member of the Long Beach Parks and Recreation Commission. He is also a past commissioner and chair of Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC). He was the first member appointed to the volunteer Emergency Translator (ET) program of the Long Beach Police Department.
He served as the coordinator at the Washington Youth Center, part of the City of Long Beach Gang Prevention Invention Program that worked with at-risk youth, disadvantaged and low-income families.
He was the founder and president of Centro CHA (Community Hispanic Association), a nonprofit serving the Latino community in Long Beach. He also established the Cesar Chavez Youth Soccer Association, which grew to serve 1,200 youth. He was a founding member of the Long Beach Youth Gang Task Force and a past member of the California Conference for Equality and Justice, in addition to serving on other community boards and committees. Graduated from the City of Long Beach Neighborhood Leadership Program
In recognition of his years of community service and involvement, he received the Mary Butler Volunteer of Year for the City of Long Beach in 1992. He received the Human Relations Award in 2002 from the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ) and many more.
Mr. Chavarria is a graduate of Phineas Banning High School in Wilmington and a graduate of Long Beach City College. He attended San Diego State University and California State University Long Beach where he pursued a degree in business administration.
He is a father of two children.
To our knowledge, incumbent Boardmember Ellis hasn't indicated publicly if he plans to seek reelection.
