The League is holding back-to-back Election Events in preparation for the 2026 midterms. This first event is a forum for the Davis Joint Unified School District Board Trustee Area 3 candidates, Joe DiNunzio and Kurt Wendlenner. Immediately following is a CA Proposition 39 Voter Education Presentation from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.
When: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Time: 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, doors open at 5:15 pm
Location: Brunelle Hall, Davis High School 
No need to register. There is plenty of room.
Rules: No campaign banners, signs, literature, handouts, buttons, T-shirts, or other campaign paraphernalia will be allowed in the forum meeting room.
Written questions from attendees will be screened by a team from the League to ensure a range of topics and issues, and will be read by the moderator. Guidelines for audience questions will be given to the attendees before the forum begins. No verbal questions or statements from the audience will be permitted.
Candidates
Joe DiNunzio
Joe DiNunzio is serving his second term on the DJUSD Board of Education and has twice served as Board President. During his time on the Board, he has worked with fellow trustees, educators, district leaders, families, and community members to expand full-day kindergarten and Career Technical Education, strengthen student supports, improve school facilities, develop a new district strategic plan, and secure community support for Measures G and N.
Joe’s involvement in Davis schools and the broader community began well before his election to the Board. He served as president of the Willett Elementary PTA and Site Council, president of the Davis Schools Foundation, president of the Davis Chamber of Commerce, and a director of Davis Roots. He also spent more than a decade coaching youth sports.
Professionally, Joe leads the Mike and Renée Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UC Davis and teaches at the Graduate School of Management, working with students, researchers, and entrepreneurs to turn promising ideas into action. Earlier in his career, he helped build a number of startup companies and led new product development at Walt Disney Imagineering. He holds an A.B. in Psychology from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Joe and his wife, Dr. Liz Stelow, have raised their family in Davis. Liz is a professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and their twins are now sophomores in college.
Joe’s involvement in Davis now spans more than two decades—as a parent, volunteer, coach, educator, business leader, and School Board trustee.
Kurt Wendlenner
As a parent of young children, Kurt is invested in the long-term success of our schools.
Kurt will work to make the district’s decision-making process more transparent, ensure that technology supports teaching rather than replaces it, and endeavor to eliminate the wage gap between administrators and educators.
Kurt believes that good decisions come from listening: our School Board should talk with parents, students, and educators—not at them.
Davis is home to experts in many fields. Kurt believes the district should integrate expert analysis and data into its decision-making so the community is informed and decisions are data-driven.