Candidate for
Trustee; Sacramento City Unified School District; Trustee Area 7

Ralph Merletti is currently a substitute teacher in schools in the Yuba City area. He has lived in the Fruitridge area of Sacramento County for almost 12 years.

Ralph (credentialed in social science and geosciences) previously substituted (2006-12) in the Grant/Twin Rivers USD (almost all grade levels and subjects), and before that in the San Juan and Elk Grove districts. He has also worked as a test evaluator (reader) for CTB/McGraw-Hill. Ralph taught geography as an adjunct instructor in the Riverside Community College District (1990-93). He worked as a physical science technician in geomagnetism for the US Geological Survey in Colorado in 1986, and as a cartographic aide/technician for the US Forest Service in Colorado (1974-1982). Ralph served in the US Air Force (Lackland AFB TX and Little Rock AFB AR) in 1963-64.

Ralph was born in Buffalo NY in 1946. In 1955 his family moved west to California. Ralph is a 1963 graduate of Sylmar High School, Sylmar CA (northernmost community of the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles) where he received an athletic letter in varsity cross country, and a certificate of merit for school spirit and loyalty. In 1968, he received an A/A degree from Los Angeles Valley College, where he received several recognitions for academics and activities. Ralph holds a B/A in geography from California State University, Northridge (1970), and an M/A in geography from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (1984). He is a long-time member of the alumni associations of both institutions. Additionally, Ralph holds a California Community College Instructor credential in Earth Sciences, and in 1999 completed a certificate program in Geographic Information Systems at the University of California, Riverside extension.

Ralph has long been involved in community activities. While in high school, he was a member of the Sylmar Civic Association 1961-62. In December of 1962, he was named "First Honorary Historian" of the Sylmar Chamber of Commerce for his efforts at popularizing the community in the context of California geography, history, agriculture, climate, and geology. Most notably, Ralph asked two major road map companies to "please put Sylmar on the map." In 1971, Ralph moved to Colorado and was active in the local community there: Historic Denver, Inc. (1975-1982), Colorado Historical Society (1979-1982), and the Colorado Mountain Club, Denver Group (1982, 1985-88). Returning to California, Ralph was trophy chairman for the Brawley Cattle Call parade in the fall of 1988.

Socially, Ralph has been active in several singles' clubs over the years. In 1981, Ralph was president of the Catholic Alumni Club-CAC (single, religious, professional) of Colorado, and in the second half of 2003 was president of the CAC of Sacramento. Ralph is a member of St. Rose Catholic parish in South Sacramento and has served as a lector for over 11 years. St. Rose is the busiest church in the 20-county Diocese of Sacramento on Sunday mornings, having Mass on the hour. Ralph has also been active over the years in pro-life activities, such as parish contact for "40 Days For Life" campaigns, and the annual "Walk For Life" in San Francisco.

At his Fruitridge residence,Ralph has almost a 12-year record of daily and monthly rainfall measurements. He has long-time membership in the Association of American Geographers, and the Sacramento Valley Astronomical Association. A life-long amateur astronomer, Ralph's favorite events are solar and lunar eclipses and related phenomena, having observed 26 solar eclipses of various types beginning with his first in 1954 in the Buffalo NY area. Since then, Ralph has observed and photographed four totals and four annulars, the most recent this past May in Redding CA.

Ralph has traveled in all 58 counties in California, 45 states, and five foreign countries on three continents. His other avocations include mountain climbing (Colorado 14ers in the 1980s including the state's highest - Mt. Elbert - in 1982; Lassen Peak CA in 2005, Mt Rose NV and Mt Scott OR in 2007), photography, sports, and of course, politics! Ralph has several publications; some of these can be seen online.

Politically, Ralph was an alternate/regular delegate at the Colorado Republican Convention in 1988. In 2010, he was an applicant for the California Redistricting Commission. Later that year, he was a pollworker at two local sites in the June and November elections. Ralph would like to use his long background and experience in many areas as the next member of the school board of the Sacramento City Unified School District, Area 7.