San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Joe Ross has announced his resignation from the board this week, effective March 16.

In the role, Ross has represented Trustee Area 7 — which includes parts of Redwood City, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Portola Valley and Woodside — since 2012. He was most recently re-elected in 2020, with his current term slated to end in December 2024.

Ross says that he made the decision to resign from the board to devote more attention to his current occupation as president of Reach University.

"It has been my honor to serve San Mateo County on the Board of Education for more than a decade. We are fortunate in this county to have so many dedicated school board members, superintendents, and school leaders who do what they do not for politics, but for kids," said Ross. "The group of new and recently elected leaders in our county gives me hope. Year after year, citizens stand up, run for office or stand for appointment, committing themselves to serve our students and communities. That’s a good thing for our local democracy and our schools."

During his time as a member of the San Mateo County Board of Education, Ross was an active member of the board's legislative subcommittee, as well as a staunch supporter of computer science education.

Outside the Board, Ross has served as general counsel and operating executive at numerous technology companies, as deputy district attorney in San Mateo County, and as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

At a meeting scheduled for Feb. 1, following Ross' announced resignation, the San Mateo County Board of Education says that it will determine whether it will call for a special election or make a provisional appointment.