Published: June 24, 2009 11:25 pm      

Young school director leaving Portage board

PORTAGE — A Portage Township resident who held the distinction of being one of the youngest school board members in the region and one of the youngest in the state is stepping down from that post.

Tyler Trimbath, 23, of Allen Street, said Wednesday that his career is making it all but impossible to devote the time needed to continue as a Portage Area School District director.

His resignation comes with about a year and a half remaining of the four-year term to which he was elected in 2007.

“I just feel I’m not as effective because of the amount of time I have to spend traveling in my job,” he said.

A graduate of Mount Aloysius College, Cresson, he is a marketing representative with Sargent’s Personnel Agency Inc. of Johnstown.

Trimbath said that for him, serving on the school board was more than going to public meetings. He said he tried to attend all committee meetings and participated in interviews with potential employees.

District Superintendent Richard Bernazzoli said the board may appoint John Jubina, a newcomer who is running unopposed for a four-year term that will begin with the board’s reorganization meeting in December.

The appointment would take effect in August.

The board does not meet in July.

Meanwhile, district officials said they will contact Fred Smith, Cambria County director of elections, this week in an effort to have Trimbath’s post filled via the fall election.

Smith said he will meet with county party leaders and try to find a candidate whose name will appear on the ballot in the November general election.

“It will be for a two-year post starting in December,” he said.

Trimbath, a Republican, beat the odds in 2005 when he won a seat on the school board in an area with a 4-to-1 Democratic edge. He was then 19.

In 2007, he was the top vote-getter in the primary and general elections and handily won a four-year seat.

Trimbath made a name for himself shortly after graduating from Portage Area High School when he was successful in getting PennDOT to install flashing lights on both sides of a narrow railroad underpass on Route 53 north of Portage.

Last year he developed the concept for a state-of-the-art scoreboard for Portage Stadium and spearheaded a drive that raised more than $115,000 for its purchase.