This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press February 21, 2001.

By JULIE M. DRAKE
Valley Press Staff Writer

LANCASTER - In a much shorter meeting than expected, the Antelope Valley College board of trustees appointed Steve Buffalo to fill a seat left vacant by the sudden death of Vice President Wayne Woodhall Sr. on Jan. 1.

Woodhall had just begun his second year on the board when he was accidentally killed at his home while working on his car.

Following interviews and public comment, board members nominated three of the five candidates for the next level of voting. Of the five, the nominations of Helen Acosta and Isaac Barcelona did not receive seconds to advance to the next round.

After an initial round of voting produced no winner, Buffalo's name was called first in the second round and he received three of the four votes, eliminating the other contenders, Jack Seefus and Leon Swain. Board President Michael R. Adams, Vice President Betty Lou Nash and Trustee Betty Wienke cast the votes for Buffalo.

Buffalo's name was called first throughout the night because his name was the first to be drawn out of a basket to determine the order of the interviews.

Buffalo will fill the vacant seat until the November election.

"I'm very pleased. I'm gratified that the board members saw that my involvement and history with the college was very important," Buffalo said.

"I'm just very happy the process worked out as well as it did and I appreciate all of the candidates who applied and I think we have made a good choice," Adams said.

Public comment following the interviews came from Heidi Preschler, president of the Antelope Valley College Federation of Teachers.

Preschler said the teachers union's executive council, without endorsing any candidate, was impressed with the applications of Buffalo, Swain and Acosta.

Last week, trustees whittled down a list of 15 candidates to five for interviews at Tuesday night's meeting. Those not making the cut were Mike Green, Deborah Herrera, Timothy Jaworski, Felix LeMarinel, Michael McAndrew, Bill Moore, Gary Riley, Richard Skidmore, Michael Lemos and Dorine Foster.

Issues facing Buffalo and the other trustees will be finding a new college president to replace the controversial Linda Spink, who resigned last year after nearly four years on the job to take over the presidency of Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington.

Patricia Sandoval, a psychology professor and former Academic Senate president, was appointed as interim president while the college conducts a search for Spink's successor. Sandoval's term is scheduled to end July 1.

Buffalo, Palmdale's special events manager, ran for an AV College board of trustees seat in 1999, finishing third in a field of four candidates despite endorsements from the college's three employee unions and the support of the mayors of Lancaster and Palmdale. He is known for his fundraising efforts on behalf of the college.

With the appointment, Buffalo can run as an incumbent in November. He said he intends to run for the seat.