The West Covina Unified School District Board of Education is the governing body of the District, which acts during legally constituted meetings in which a quorum of the Board is required.  

The Board is comprised of five locally elected public officials and derives its powers from the Constitution and Statutes of the State of California. The Board of Education represents the people of the District and functions as a vision-setting, policy-making and evaluating body.  The Board provides oversight for the professionals who manage the day-to-day operations of the schools and has complete jurisdiction over the District.

To learn more about school boards, read School Board Leadership: The role and function of California’s school boards, a publication of California School Board Association.

Eileen Miranda Jimenez
President

Eileen Miranda Jimenez has worked within the nonprofit industry for over 21 years managing extensive responsibilities in the creation, implementation, evaluation, and financial development of programs focused on education reform, at-risk youth, college prep, teacher recognition, and Latina empowerment.  Ms. Miranda has taught, trained, mentored, and advised young people for the past 24 years.  Most recently, she worked for HOPE (Hispanas Organized For Political Equality) as their Director of Education Conference Producer.  She created, launched, and managed HOPE’s Financial Success Program, an innovative financial literacy program designed to assist women with achieving financial freedom, flexibility, and independence. During her six year tenancy at HOPE, she produced three annual conferences, two annual fundraisers, the Glass Ceiling Initiative, The Voter Empowerment Workshops, and the Profiles In Leadership publication.

Ms. Miranda Jimenez attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts and majored in psychology.  She is an active volunteer who enjoys walking ½ marathons, hiking, reading, family vacations, and getting lost in a good movie. She has been married for over 16 years, owns a home.  She and her husband are raising two vibrant young girls and they attend school in the WCUSD.

Jessica Shewmaker
Vice President

Ms. Shewmaker has been a resident of West Covina for more than 19 years. She attended Edgewood Middle School and graduated from West Covina High School.  After graduation, Jessica studied International Relations, Business and Paralegal Studies.

In college, Jessica represented students while working with the California State Assembly and Senate on education issues. During this time, she continued to keep in touch with the teachers and staff of the school district and community members, developing an even deeper appreciation and understanding of the many sides of the issues affecting the community and education in the district.

Elected in November 2005, she has the distinction of being the youngest elected board member in WCUSD's history. During her first term on the West Covina School Board, Jessica has not only served as President of Board and Board Clerk, but serves as one of the two West Covina School Board members on the District/City Advisory Committee. This committee of school board and city council members works to coordinate activities and develop solutions for the community involving the locally elected city council and school boards.  Jessica is also a member of the Board of Management for the East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program. This Board is responsible for public education services which provide practical, hands-on career preparation and career guidance to residents in 7 local school districts.

Jessica Shewmaker prides herself in being open and accessible to members of the community, working tirelessly to improve the education of the children in the school district and coming prepared to board meetings in order to handle district business. For the last five years, Jessica has worked for a local law firm as a paralegal handling construction, real estate, family law and business issues.

Camie Poulos
Clerk

Camie has been serving on the West Covina Unified School Board since April of 1999, including two terms as Board President in 2002 and 2005. She attended Orangewood, Willowood, and Edgewood High School, graduating in 1976. While at Edgewood Camie became interested in Early Childhood Education and began her community service. Now, she is the advisor for West Covina High School LEOS Service Club.

Camie has also served as Parents Place President, CAC representative, a Lions Cub Member/Leos Advisor, and as Church/Women's Ministry Coordinator.

Camie has been employed as an accounting clerk for Travis Brown, CPAs since 1985. Prior to that, she worked in the early childhood field as a Preschool Director.

She currently attends the USC University Affiliated Program and has a LEND Advanced Certificate. She studied Child Development at Pacific Oaks College from 1984-85 and received her AS Degree in Child Development from Mt. San Antonio College in 1980.

A life-long resident of West Covina, Camie enjoys life with her husband, Christopher, who has his law practice here in West Covina and her son, William, who is currently attending a specialized program at Mt. San Antonio College.

Steve Cox

Mr. Cox is a lifelong resident of West Covina. After graduating from South Hills High School in 1970, he earned his bachelor's degree with an emphasis in accounting from San Diego State University in 1974. Mr. Cox has worked as a Certified Public Accountant for the last 30 years and is a registered investment advisor. He has been happily married for 31 years to Cheri and they have two sons, Bret and Chad, both graduates of West Covina High School.

Serving as a member of the West Covina Board of Education since 1992, Mr. Cox is very proud of the accomplishments of our staff and students over the last 13 years

Mike Spence

Mike Spence was born and raised in West Covina. He attended Wescove Elementary, Willowood Junior High and graduated from Edgewood High School. He was elected Student Body president his senior year and served on the High School's School Site Council.

Mike Spence is serving his fourth term on the West Covina Unified School District Board. He has served as President four times. He is a past President of the East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program where he has served as Board member since 1992.

In 1996, the Speaker of the State Assembly appointed Mike to a four-year term on the Library of California Board. He was awarded the Samuel Adams Leadership Award from the Washington, D.C. based Local Government Council in 1997.

Mike graduated from UCLA with a degree in Political Science and served as a district chair of their alumni scholarship program.

An Eagle Scout, Mike is still active as a Boy Scout Merit Badge Counselor and is a lay leader in his church. Mike has served on the City of West Covina's 4th of July Celebration Committee and the 2000 Census Committee. He completed four years as the taxpayer representative on the Mount San Antonio Community College Bond Oversight Committee.

He serves as a board member of the La Puente Valley Meals on Wheels. Mike is also on the Board of Trustees of the Southern California Leadership Network and the Junior Statesmen Foundation.