In a contentious board meeting last week, the Lane Community College Board of Education elected not to appoint a replacement for the vacant board position left by Oregon Rep.-elect Lisa Fragala .
Fragala resigned from the at-large position on Nov. 6 after winning the Oregon Representative District 8 seat.
The board interviewed the finalists, but after an hour of back-and-forth, the board voted to table the matter.
The four finalists Jesse Maldonado, Bob Brew, Dan Isaacson and Jim Arnold attended in person for their half-hour interviews. Following the two-hour process, the board members voiced their first choices. Maldanado was the first pick for board members Denise Diamond, Zachary Mulholland and Austin Folnagy. Brew was the first pick for board members Kevin Alltucker and Steve Mital.
However, board member Julie Weismann abstained from selecting a candidate, saying she felt the decision should be left up to voters to put individuals on the board. Because the vacant position is on the ballot in the May 2025 election, she noted the appointee would only have six months on the board.