Las Lomitas board member resigns

Las Lomitas Elementary School District trustee Cynthia Solis Yi has stepped down from the district’s governing board.

Superintendent Beth Polito announced at a Wednesday, Sept. 7, board meeting that Solis Yi moved to New York City, where she is from originally. Solis Yi emailed a resignation note to the district on Aug. 26.

The board will not fill Solis Yi’s seat, as her term expires in November.

“It was a pleasure serving with you over the last year,” said Board President Jason Morimoto during the meeting. He noted that her opinions on inclusivity were always very appreciated.

In her letter to the district, Solis Yi said it was an honor to serve on the board.

The board appointed Solis Yi to fill a two-year term in December 2020.

Solis Yi lived in Menlo Park with her two children, who attended La Entrada Middle School. She said in her application that she wanted to bring a diverse perspective to the board. Inclusivity, equity and diversity should be considered in decisions as a trustee, particularly now in this polarized political landscape, she said.

She is the director of earned income at La Cocina, a nonprofit incubator in San Francisco focused on formalizing the businesses of female minority entrepreneurs.

Las Lomitas board elections this fall were uncontested.

Trustees Heather Hopkins and Gautam Nadella, who were both appointed to the board in October 2021, will assume four-year terms this fall. The pair filled the openings left by trustees Dana Nunn and John Earnhardt. Newcomer, Brian Ross, a municipal financial adviser, will also fill a four-year seat. Paige Winikoff, an attorney and parent, will fill the shorter two-year term.

Both Solis Yi and Trustee Molly Finn didn’t file papers to run for reelection.

Solis Yi could not be immediately reached for comment.