SAN MARINO NEWS
By Mitch Lehman

Jeanie Caldwell was a freshman in high school, a cheerleader on the sideline at the Georgia State Championship basketball game to which her beloved George Walton Academy had advanced through great travail.
Trailing by a point with mere seconds left on the clock and in their collective dream, it looked as though her beloved Bulldogs had reached the end of the road.
Enter senior hoop hero – now a Denver doctor, according to Caldwell – who calmly tosses in a buzzer-beating, desperation, half-court shot to claim the crown.
“That moment crystallized my life,” said Caldwell. “It was the most phenomenal experience of my existence. That moment taught me that you are never out of the game and you can always find a way to win.”
Caldwell brought that same indomitable spirit to the San Marino School Board eight years ago and on Tuesday night, she bid farewell to the district she served with equal parts silk and sinew.
Tough (she held her own in the face of a verbal threat to boycott the June parcel tax election and was quick to remind offenders of proper meeting protocol), smart (in a brilliant display of loyalty, Caldwell – then an employee of Sparkletts – had the foresight to bring her own brand of bottled water to a 2001 candidate debate) and forward-thinking (Caldwell and her board were months ahead of other districts in analyzing the state budget and pushing for a parcel tax election), the mother of two recent graduates of San Marino High School helped oversee a district that completed a construction project and made major improvements to facilities and curriculum while maintaining the top academic ranking in California.
When asked by Superintendent Gary Woods at her final meeting Tuesday why she ran for office, Caldwell was reflective.
“I think most people choose to run for office or join a committee or group because they believe they have something to add – I, too, believed I could add value to the board,” Caldwell said. “And, I hope I did that. What you learn, however, after having served is how much you gain by being a part of such a hard-working group. The reality is that we have an amazing group of leaders, staff members, students, parents, volunteers and community members who love this district. They are all willing to work incredibly hard and give of themselves and their resources to ensure its success. Everyone has a singular goal; to assure a world class education for our students. Everyone cares about the outcome; everyone’s heart is in the same place. We may not always agree about the path to achieve our destination, but we all agree about the destination.”
Looking back on her two terms, Caldwell told The Tribune she is most proud of the district’s ability to define the educational focus to include arts and athletics, to deal with the most challenging economic issues ever to threaten the state and the public school systems, improving communication and the search that resulted in the hiring of Woods.
“I’m happy we were able to be about ands, not ors,” Caldwell concluded.
Though she served two one-year terms as board president, Caldwell was never quite able to outrank husband Rick – a former President of San Marino National Little League and current District 17 Administrator – but it was a noble effort.