Andre served for 17 years as Mayor of Turlock and 12 years prior to that on the Turlock Planning Commission. Borba has been Superintendent of the Salida Union School District since 1998 and involved in the education profession for 32 years.
Andre and Borba were selected from a field of 10 nominees from Stanislaus and Merced counties. Co-sponsored by CSU Stanislaus and The Modesto Bee, the award acknowledges the value and impact of ethical judgment, integrity, responsibility, and service. The nominees were selected for their positive contributions in their communities and for demonstrating high ethical standards through their public service.
The other award nominees were Greg Aghazarian, 26th District State Assembly member; Dave Cogdill, 14th District State Senator; Joan Da Cruz, Environmental Health Specialist for Stanislaus County; David Duran, Atwater Elementary School District Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources; Alan Jenkins, a member of the Board of Commissioners for the Merced County Housing Authority; Patrick Sweeney, Superintendent of the Patterson Joint Unified School District; Roy Wasden, Modesto Chief of Police; and Lloyd Weaver, a member of the Bloss Memorial Healthcare District of Atwater Board of Directors.
A native of Turlock where he is a doctor of optometry, Andre drew praise for being accessible as the city's top elected official and making sure with grace and patience that all voices were heard on issues that came before the City Council. In 2002, he spearheaded the institution of an ethical standards document that serves as a guide for council members on required behavior and standards as elected officials.
Borba, a native of the Azores who came to the United States as a teenager, started his career as a teacher in Modesto, advanced to the administrative level, and served as superintendent of the Chatom School District for nine years before taking the top post in Salida where district campuses have been honored as California Distinguished Schools. Described as a person of high integrity with a good sense of what is right and wrong, Borba was lauded for treating all employees, parents, students, and staff with dignity and respect.