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It turns out there will be a contested election for Mountain View Whisman’s school board after all. Although initially, only the two incumbents stepped forward to run, a pair of additional candidates ended up jumping into the race before the filing period closed on Aug. 7.
Voters will now get to pick between the four candidates – incumbents Devon Conley and Bill Lambert and newcomers Quintin Riis and Sundar Subbarayan – in this November’s election. Two seats on the five-member board are up for a vote this year, with the other three members’ terms running through mid-December 2028.
Devon Conley
Conley was first elected to the board in 2018. She previously worked as a teacher, including at Mountain View Whisman’s Stevenson Elementary School. She was re-elected to the board in 2022, and ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2024.
Conley told the Voice last month that she was running again because her work on the school board wasn’t done. She cited accomplishments during her tenure like expanding free after-school care for low-income students, adopting a new literacy curriculum, and hiring counselors for each school.
She faced an unsuccessful recall attempt last year, which didn’t garner enough signatures to appear on the ballot. The effort followed a year of controversy in the district, as members of the public scrutinized spending on coaching and meditation sessions for administrators.
Bill Lambert
Lambert joined the board in 2012, but decided against a bid for reelection in 2016. He rejoined in 2022, just as the district was emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like Conley, he has told the Voice that he is running to continue the work he’s begun. In particular, Lambert said he is committed to preparing students to be able to pursue attending college.
Lambert works as an intellectual property partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP and also has a doctorate in chemical physics. He has previously said he brings “a scientist’s rigor and a lawyer’s thoughtfulness” to the board.
Quintin Riis
Riis, a father of two – one currently a student in the district, was a leader of the recall effort against Conley, announcing the effort to unseat her at a June 2025 board meeting. He told the Voice this week that his experience during that time influenced his decision to run.
According to Riis, he joined the race because he was concerned no one else would run and that the incumbents would be reelected, unchallenged.
“No one deserves a walk-on, especially the current board with all of the recent controversies we’ve faced,” Riis said.
He’s running with the goal of reducing what he considers wasteful spending, as well as to introduce a formal gifted and talented program in the district.
Sundar Subbarayan
Subbarayan told the Voice that public education has been a driving force in his career and personal life. His two children graduated from Los Altos High School and previously attended Stevenson Elementary School and Crittenden Middle School, both in the Mountain View Whisman School District. Subbarayan serves as an AVID mentor at Los Altos High School, a program which helps prepare students for college, and sits on Mountain View Whisman’s artificial intelligence committee.
Subbarayan also served from 2011 to 2012 as the head of school implementations for Khan Academy – a major online learning platform founded in Mountain View in 2006 – and aided in its integration into the Mountain View Whisman and Los Altos school districts.
Subbarayan said he is running with three focuses: ensuring students receive a successful education, making wise financial decisions and encouraging discourse within the district so “every voice is heard.”
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I’ve noticed several comments outlining Devon Conley’s terrible track record have been deleted from previous posts. I know the former writer Zoey, now editor had a habit of omitting details that were not beneficial to the board that allowed the rampant mismanagement of funds.
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with journalism, where not all details can be included, instead of blaming the messenger. Editors make judgment calls on what’s relevant and verifiable every day; leaving something out isn’t proof of a cover-up. If you have specific facts about mismanagement, share them here with evidence, that’s a stronger case than implying a conspiracy between a writer and the board.
Ramirez, you tend to take the stance of being an extreme apologist for the districts poor use of student funds. To the point it seems bizarre, almost like you are related to her.
The ineptitude of Devon Conley is well documented on public record:
– Adding to sunk costs repeatedly (teacher housing, campus greening, bad software, expensive consultants).
– Enablement of the former superintendents questionable spending and behavior.
– Denying knowledge, accountability, or understanding of previous missteps.
– Most importantly, there has been no tangible improvement within the student population.
It seems like you are more than happy with this ridiculous status quo.