Board Members
Board President (Area 7)
Anthony Silva
Anthony Silva was born in Los Banos and raised on a dairy. He is married, has three children (Lisa, David and Denise), three step-children, six grandchildren and nine step-grandchildren. His wife Cheryl served as Director of Religious Education for twenty-one years. They are very involved with Sacred Heart Parish.
Anthony attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where he earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Agricultural Business Management, teaching credential in Agricultural Education and a Masters degree in Education. Anthony began his teaching career in 1970 at San Benito High School, Hollister. He then went to Strathmore High School and on to Turlock High School in 1972. At Turlock High School Anthony taught agriculture science, government, economics and natural resource classes. He served as the FFA Advisor for twenty-four years. Anthony served as an officer for California Agriculture Teachers Association at the local and state level, serving as state president from 1987 to 1988. Anthony continues to supervise and mentor new teachers as they complete their student teaching assignments.
Anthony believes we need to provide a positive climate for students to learn and for teachers to teach; an environment where students desire to learn and teachers are eager to motivate students to learn. He believes in a strong career education model for learning. In high school he studied vocational agriculture and was very active in the FFA. He is a product of that methodology. Teamwork at all levels in our district is important. Turlock has great schools.
Term 2020-2024
Board Clerk (Area 2)
Lori Carlson
Lori Carlson was raised in Northern California by her parents, a farmer and a high school teacher, who taught her the value of community service and the importance of high-quality public education. She graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Human Development and from Fuller Theological Seminary with an M.A. in Marital and Family Therapy. She is married to Steve, a pastor at Hope Church, and together they have four daughters who have all attended or are currently attending schools in TUSD. She is a Realtor at Aspire Home Real Estate, a spiritual director and Enneagram teacher, president of the board of Turlock Youth Performing Arts, a Tree House Club volunteer, and a volunteer at her church. One of her favorite parts of the week is singing with the Turlock Community Gospel Choir on Sunday afternoons. Lori is passionate about equity, social-emotional learning and the importance of educating the whole child. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve the community of Turlock as a TUSD trustee, where she enjoys working alongside a great team of leaders on the board and with the district administration to ensure high-quality education for all students in TUSD.
Term: 2022-2026
Member (Area 4)
Mary Jackson
Email: Mary Jackson
Mary Jackson was born and raised on a farm in west Turlock. She attended Chatom Elementary and Turlock High. She received a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism/Political Science from the University of Missouri and did graduate work at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand as a Rotary Foundation Scholar. Mary was also an American Field Service exchange student in Athens, Greece.
She has three daughters who attend Turlock schools and is active in their classroom and with the PT A at several school sites. Her family attends All Saints Catholic Church.
Mary worked previously as a TV and radio reporter for twelve years; in Missouri, Oregon, Illinois/Indiana, and in our region of California, including a stint covering the Governor, and state Legislature. She has taught for eight years mostly at the high school and community college level.
Mary believes in public service and giving back to our community. She is a former member of the Turlock City Council and the Turlock City Arts Commission, and was a founding board member for the Turlock Certified Farmers Market. She has volunteered with the Carnegie Arts Center, the United Samaritans Foundation, Turlock Shines, and as a board member of the Salvation Army. Currently, Mary and her family serve dinner once a month at the We Care Homeless Shelter and she is a Girl Scout leader with Troop #4012.
She believes every student can succeed and would like to work with the board, staff, and teachers to increase reading literacy and encourage more students to attend and graduate from community college. Mary looks forward to hearing from the people she serves, about any ideas they have to improve our school district community.
Term: 2022-2026
Member (Area 1)
Jose Sanchez
Email: Jose Sanchez
Jose Sanchez was born and raised in the Central Coast area of Salinas. He attended North Monterey County High School in Castroville. His parents were migrant farm workers who taught him the value of hard work, faith, and the importance of education. Jose graduated from CSU, Fresno with a B.A. in Liberal Studies, then attended CSU, Monterey Bay to earn his Multiple Subject Credential. He also earned his M.A. in Educational Administration from CSU, Stanislaus.
Together with his family, they left the Central Coast and moved to Turlock in 2003. Jose is married to a 4th grade bilingual teacher. They have three children - all who have or currently attend schools in the Turlock USD. His oldest son is a Biology major at CSU Stanislaus, his daughter is a Molecular Biology major at UC Merced, and his youngest son is a student at Dennis Earl Elementary.
Jose has served as an elementary teacher for five years, an elementary administrator for nine years, and seven years as an Alternative High School Principal for Patterson Joint Unified School District. He is currently an administrator in Sylvan Unified School District. Jose is also a mentor for the Administrator's Induction Program through the Stanislaus County Office of Education. He has been a community volunteer in Turlock through Youth Football and the Turlock National Little League.
Jose’s passion for Special Education derives from having an older brother with dynamic learning needs. He has accessed specialized programming throughout his academic career and post-secondary education, which focused on functional life, vocational, and daily living skills. Having grown up as an English Language Learner, Jose also feels the importance of working with families to help all students receive an equal opportunity in education, regardless of their background. He is grateful for the opportunity to serve our community as a Turlock Unified School District Trustee. Jose is looking forward to continuing to make Turlock a great school district through the high quality of education for all students.
Term: 2020-2024
Member (Area 5)
Daniel Benedict
Email: Daniel Benedict
Daniel Benedict was born and raised in the Town of Greece, a suburb of Rochester, NY. He graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY with a B.A. in Digital Media Arts, with a focus in Web and Graphic Design. At Canisius, Daniel met his wife Becky (Ronge, a Turlock native). When they graduated, they headed west to continue their education. She worked to obtain her Doctorate in Psychology, while Daniel attended Ex’pression College for Digital Arts and obtained his B.AS. in Sound Arts. In 2013, they moved to Turlock to be closer to family.
Daniel has been a stay-at-home parent since 2010. Raising his family was his full-time job, so he was sure to be involved with his kids’ education. He served for 5 years on the Board of Turlock Nursery School. Currently, he has a child attending Osborn Two-Way Immersion Academy, Dutcher Middle School, and Turlock High. He served as PTA Secretary and represented Osborn on the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council before being elected to the TUSD Board of Trustees.
Daniel’s excitement for education stems from his personal endeavor to always be learning and growing. Also, observing his own children and their classmates has taught him that every child learns differently, and given the proper tools, can be successful. While learning starts at home, Daniel feels that it takes an entire community to shape well-rounded citizens.
Term: 2020-2024
Member (Area 3)
Paola Maldonado
Email: Paola Maldonado
Paola Maldonado was raised in Turlock. She, her husband, and four of their five children attended Turlock schools. Two of her children have graduated, and four have disabilities.
Paola has been involved in the Hispanic community for years. She has been an advocate and helped parents navigate through their children’s disabilities. Paola helps families both locally and internationally and is always involved in Turlock. She continues to support the people in her community in many ways through individual advocacy and local organizations.
Paola believes all teachers, parents, and students deserve to have a safe and accommodating school environment. She believes teachers should have the support they need to successfully teach their students. Because her own children attend Turlock schools, she is invested in building a strong and informed bridge between parents and their students to the school and the district. As a result of her experiences, she strongly believes in building clear lines of communication between families and schools. Paola believes in equal and fair education for all.
Term: 2022-2024
Member (Area 6)
Joe. A Souza
Email: Joe Souza
Joe A Souza was born and raised in Hughson, Ca. He graduated from Stanislaus State College with a degree in Political Science. Joe is married and has two daughters who graduated from Turlock High School. Upon graduation, the eldest attended Saint Mary’s Collège and currently is serving as the Assistant County Assessor for Stanislaus County. The second daughter attended the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a Web and Development Artist for UCSC. Joe has five grandsons, three of whom live in the Turlock High School District. For many years, Joe was part owner of a small family dairy. Since retiring from farming, he has been employed by HR Block Tax Service, where he continues his service because he enjoys his clients and co-workers very much.
Joe has been very active in the community, participating in many Service groups such as the Turlock Jaycees. This leadership training organization, through community service, has provided many of the skills that have been helpful throughout his life. Joe has participated in, and chaired, countless projects which have benefited the Turlock area. Joe practices the value of hard work and perseverance in all he does. He believes in maintaining a good learning environment for all students and providing them with the opportunity to grow and thrive, seeking the best possible avenues for their futures. Joe believes that the schools should be a safe haven. He believes the overall school experience should be one that is valued by all TUSD students for the rest of their lives.
To accomplish these objectives, to achieve our goals and to meet our Mission Statement, Joe believes we must create a work environment of trust, respect, and cooperation. Communication and civility are traits to be expected and practiced by everyone, not among Board Members only, but with teachers, staff, and parents. Joe is pleased to represent Area 6. The large, predominately rural section of the District has unique needs that should be addressed. Joe is honored to serve with such a fine body of leaders to accomplish these tasks.
Term: July 5, 2023-November 2024