Filicetti retires Filicetti retires (November 26, 2004)

School trustee spent 10 years on board

By Julie O'Shea

After 10 years, one merger, two parcel tax campaigns and a successful bond election, Rose Filicetti, one of Mountain View-Whisman School District's longest serving trustees, is ready to take a break.

This mother of three who has been involved with Mountain View's public school system for about 20 years, said it's time to hand the gavel to a new generation.

"It's been an amazing time," Filicetti, 52, said, but now it's time to move on. She added that she wants to spend more time with her family, throw more dinner parties and maybe even catch up on a little Thursday evening television. (Board meetings are held the first and third Thursdays of the month.)

Filicetti said she can hardly wait. "My family thinks 10 years is enough," she said.

Modrite Archibeque, the school district's assistant superintendent, said it's going to be hard to fill Filicetti's shoes.

"What were Rose's achievements? There were many of them," said Archibeque, who has known Filicetti since her early days on the school board.

Filicetti, a graduate of Leadership Mountain View, helped to successfully pass the district's construction bond and Measure J, the $1.6 million parcel tax, last March. She was also part of the board that oversaw the merger of the Mountain View and Whisman School Districts in 2001. In addition to all her duties as a school board member, Filicetti has spent the last eight years as the executive director of the Santa Clara County School Boards Association.

"She has a huge connection with the community," Archibeque said. "It's a big part of being a board member, to listen to many voices."

Filicetti, a native of Washington state, has been living in Mountain View for two decades. Her children have attended Bubb, Huff and Slater Elementary Schools, Graham Middle School, Mountain View High School and Bellarmine College Preparatory. In 1994, she was asked to run for the school board, she said because there was a fear by some that there wouldn't be enough people interested in the job. As it turns out, six ran for the spot that Filicetti ultimately won.

Earlier this month, Filicetti chaired her last board meeting and last week enjoyed a farewell party district officials threw for her.

But this isn't really a good-bye, Filicetti said, adding that she will no doubt be dropping by the boardroom from time to time to see how things are going. Filicetti, who has a background in corporate banking, said she will remain a member of the district's budget task force and will act as a consultant for Edsource, a Palo Alto-based educational nonprofit.

Asked if she plans to attend the Dec. 9 board meeting where three new trustees will take the oath of office, Filicetti said she'll be busy toasting her semi-retirement with a dinner party that night. @email:E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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