The San Juan Unified School District Board of Education held a ceremony Dec. 17 to welcome new and returning members. Photo courtesy of San Juan Unified School District

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - San Juan Unified held a special ceremony Dec. 17 to welcome new and returning members to the Board of Education.

Pam Costa (Area 2) started her fourth term, while Nick Bloise (Area 4) and Abid Stanekzai (Area 1) joined the board for the first time.

At the meeting, Ben Avey (Area 6) was chosen as president for 2025. Tanya Kravchuk (Area 5) was selected as vice-president and Manuel Perez (Area 7) will be the clerk.

Bloise lives in Carmichael and has lived in Sacramento County his whole life. He served more than 23 years in the U.S. Army and retired as a major. Bloise enjoys helping his community by serving on local boards and running a small genealogy business.

Stanekzai works hard to support the community. Since 2021, he has helped run programs that improve lives and bring people together. Stanekzai has three children who go to Greer Elementary School, where he has been an active parent.

Costa has served on the San Juan Unified Board of Education for 12 years. She has been a student, teacher, principal and director in the district. Now, Costa is a proud grandparent who stays involved in the schools.

To learn more about the Board of Education, visit the San Juan Unified website at https://www.sanjuan.edu.