The Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District's board elected a new president on Thursday night, but it's far from his first time in the position.

With over a quarter century serving on the school board, Phil Faillace was unanimously selected as the board's president at a Thursday, Dec. 15, meeting. Board members Sanjay Dave and Esmeralda Ortiz were unanimously picked as vice president and clerk, respectively.

The board selects its leaders each December and typically rotates members through the positions, a pattern that it followed this time.

The 2022 vice president, Debbie Torok, didn't run for re-election in the November election, so as this year's clerk, Faillace was next in line. He praised outgoing President Catherine Vonnegut, who will continue serving on the board after being reelected to a four-year term in November.

"You have given great service to the district," Faillace said. "We appreciate it. You have done so much in four years … and the public recognized it by reelecting you."

As the only other returning trustee, Dave took over as vice president.

Because two trustees (Torok and Fiona Walter) chose not to run for re-election, the board had a pair of new faces on Thursday night: Ortiz and Thida Cornes, who nominated Ortiz to serve as clerk.

Superintendent Nellie Meyer administered the oath of office to Cornes, Ortiz and Vonnegut at the beginning of the meeting.