Dr. Hidalgo Elected Board President
December 17, 2025 - 10:39 PM
At its annual organizational meeting on Dec. 17, the Mt. SAC Board of Trustees elected Dr. Robert Hidalgo as president, Laura Santos as vice president, and Jay Chen as clerk. They each will serve one-year terms, effective immediately. Outgoing president Peter Hidalgo was thanked for his service and praised by his colleagues.
Trustee Robert Hidalgo was elected to the Mt. SAC Board of Trustees on Nov. 5, 2013, representing District 4, which represents most of West Covina and Valinda. He was re-elected in 2022. Previously, Trustee Hidalgo served on the Rowland Unified School Board of Education to which he was elected in 2005 and again in 2009. In addition, he has served on the executive board for the California Latino School Board Association, Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, and the La Puente Valley Regional Occupational Program. Trustee Hidalgo, a West Covina resident, has over 20 years of experience in public education, having taught at both middle and high schools.
Trustee Laura Santos was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2013, 2018 and 2022. She represents District 3, which includes the cities of Baldwin Park, Irwindale, and portions of Bassett and West Covina. She previously served on the Basset Unified School District Board. Trustee Santos earned a bachelor's degree in political science at UCLA and a law degree at UC Davis. She practiced law for 10 years and is now a Public Relations Specialist. She has more than 20 years of experience in community and grassroots outreach and organizing. Much of her career has been spent working to address equity and justice issues in education, health, poverty, and access to parks and open space.
Trustee Jay Chen was elected to represent District 5, which covers Hacienda Heights and La Puente, in 2015 and re-elected in 2024. He served on the Board of Education for Hacienda La Puente Unified School District (HLPUSD) for eight years, and was twice elected president. He served two terms on the La Puente Valley Regional Occupational Program. A graduate of San Gabriel Valley public schools and Harvard University, Jay previously worked as a management consultant and currently owns his own real estate business. He is a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve. A Marshall Memorial Fellow, he speaks Mandarin and Spanish.