By Lookout News

February 26, 2014 -- Santa Monica College announced last week that attorney Lawrence Leone would replace former City Councilmember Dolores Press, a long-time tenant and union activist, on the College’s Personnel Commission.

Leone, who will be officially confirmed next month, will serve out the reminder of Press’ term -- ending on December 1, 2016 -- since Press retired this year after nearly 14 years on the Commission.

In 2000, Press’ unanimous appointment to the Commission sparked the resignation of one of the Commissioners who claimed her appointment was politically motivated.

William Crookston resigned in protest after Press, who has strong ties to Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights and also served on the Rent Control Board, was confirmed as the replacement for Allen Shatkin.

“The new commissioner is a person I am totally politically opposed to,” Crookston said in 2000. “I believe the trustees in choosing her were setting a very defined path for the personnel commission that I could not be a part of. I am totally anti-SMRR.”

Press, who also took a leadership role in the fight for a living wage in Santa Monica during the late 1990s, retired from her seat on the five-member Commission earlier this month.

Leone, whose daughter attended Santa Monica College for two years, has so far proved a less controversial choice.

“Mr. Leone has been a practicing attorney in family law since 1977, and a resident of the City of Santa Monica since 1973,” College officials said.

As a practicing family law specialist, Leone is also a member of the Elkins Task Force for the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).

He is also a “Continuing Editor for California Family Law Monthly, and has authored over 35 publications for various entities including the Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) relating to family law, discovery, client relations, child custody and child support issues, and trial preparation,” officials said.