The Foothill-De Anza Community College District mourns the loss of trustee Andrea Leiderman, who died Sept. 11 following a battle with cancer.
“Andrea’s genuine commitment to students was evident,” said board President Sandy Hay. “She brought her experience at the county board and her many related activities to bear on her thoughtful work on the Foothill-De Anza board. Even as she coped with a devastating illness, she remained as involved as possible in crucial board decisions, which was indicative of the level of commitment she had.”
“Andrea’s keen intelligence and her commitment to students and the community was unparalleled, and demonstrated through her actions as a trustee and a community leader,” said trustee Paul Fong. “I knew her for more than 20 years and will miss her both personally and professionally.”
"I have lost a very dear friend, and the community has lost a dedicated servant," said trustee Hal Plotkin. "I've known Andrea since we were student activists in the seventh grade. In all that time Andrea had one main goal for her life: She wanted to help those less fortunate and to make a difference. Her life was cut far too short, but through her selfless service to others she accomplished her goal fully. I will miss her terribly. It is a great loss to our community."
“With her unwavering commitment to students and the community, Andrea represented the very best in leadership on both the Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees and the Santa Clara County Board of Education, as well as in her volunteer service,” said Chancellor Martha J. Kanter. “We will greatly miss her dedication and her many contributions, such as spearheading the development of the board’s policy on neighborhood outreach. She was a tireless advocate for promoting workforce education, particularly for underrepresented students.
"I know that trustee Betsy Bechtel, who is out of the country, joins elected and student trustees, Presidents Fong and Murphy and I, and all Foothill-De Anza faculty and staff in expressing our condolences to Andrea’s family,” Kanter said.
Leiderman, who was director of government and community relations for Kaiser Permanente’s South Bay service area, was appointed to a vacant seat on the Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees in spring 2002 and was elected to the seat in 2003. Prior to her appointment, she served on the Santa Clara County Board of Education and was its president in 1995 and 2000.
Leiderman’s community involvement included serving on the boards of the Mission City Community Fund, San Jose Chamber of Commerce Local Issues Advocacy Committee and the College of San Mateo President’s Council on Advancement. She served as chair of the Working Council of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), at the time known as the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group (SVMG). Her professional experience included serving as an adjunct instructor of American government at Evergreen Valley College; public affairs manager at Browning-Ferris Industries; senior council assistant and chief of staff to San Jose City Councilman Jim Beall; and research analyst for the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Center for Educational Planning. She also served as a legislative assistant to former U.S. Rep. Matt McHugh of New York and as LBJ Congressional Fellow to then-U.S. Rep. Norm Mineta of San Jose.
Leiderman is survived by her husband, Hayes Alexander, her parents, two sisters and a brother, and two nieces.
The family has established the Andrea Naomi Leiderman Fellowship Fund for Stanford University undergraduates in order to support student services and research with underserved Bay Area youth. Contributions may be directed to the Stanford University Development Office, Gifts Processing, 326 Galvez St., Stanford, Calif., 94305.
Funeral services were held Sept. 14. A memorial service will be scheduled for a later date.
[Photo credit: Palo Alto Daily News]
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