John Ervin III named to Modesto City Schools board

The Modesto City Schools Board of Education has appointed John Ervin III to fill the vacancy created by member Steve Grenbeaux's resignation last month.

Ervin is the director and founder of Project Uplift, a Modesto nonprofit organization whose goal is to help at-risk youth develop skills, through mentoring and coaching. On its website, he says, "Mentoring provides me with nourishment to the soul, it brings me great joy knowing that I am making a positive difference in the lives of the youth I have mentored over the years."

Ervin once worked as director of community affairs for Modesto City Schools and now is the manager of the veterans resource center at San Joaquin Delta College. He also is one of the founders of Modesto's first black theater group, Sankofa Theatre Company.

A news release from Modesto City Schools says the appointment is provisional, meaning Ervin will have no powers or duties for the first 30 days. If no petition is filed within 30 days calling for a special election to fill the vacancy, Ervin will have all the powers and duties of a board trustee until the next regularly scheduled board election.

That election would be in November 2019, or possibly November 2020, depending on the outcome of a November 2018 ballot measure to switch to even-year elections. Despite having switched to district elections in 2017, this particular vacancy is an at-large position, the news release says.

This story was originally published June 27, 2018 at 8:31 AM.