SAN DIEGO -- A recently retired educator from Valley Center has been tapped as the forewoman of the San Diego County Civil Grand Jury, a watchdog group tasked with looking into local governmental bodies and agencies.

And for only the third time in the 159-year history of the county's grand jury, the leader of the panel is a woman.

Victoria Stubblefield, 63, calls the appointment to lead the panel "a privilege."

San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge Kenneth So, who heads the selection committee, said the court looks for "someone who has good organizational skills and someone who has the ability to work with various people with varying backgrounds."

Local parents might remember Stubblefield as both a teacher and an assistant principal with the Escondido Elementary School District for more than a decade.

Closing in on a year since her retirement from public education in 2008, Stubblefield said she started to poke around for a community service opportunity -- and found the grand jury as the "ultimate" in such work.

The San Diego County Civil Grand Jury acts as a watchdog with an eye toward improving efficiency and investigating complaints against local governmental bodies and agencies.

Ever the educator, Stubblefield wants people to learn what the grand jury does -- and what it can do for them.

"We need to let people know there is this venue, an arena where they can be heard, and a group of educated people who will pursue it for them," Stubblefield said. "This is a vehicle for you to use if you feel you don't have a voice to make change. You very much do."

In years past, grand jury reports have criticized the governance at Tri-City Medical Center, laid out the need for a regional firefighting force and recommended the county improve jail facilities for women. As recently as last month, the previous grand jury vindicated a controversial taxpayer "guarantee" involving beds at Palomar Medical Center and took aim at a downtown Oceanside booster group for its accounting practices and more.

Each year, the 19-member civil grand jury prepares written reports about its investigations and recommends changes for the agencies.

State law requires the agencies involved to respond to grand jury reports, but the grand jury has no formal power to enforce its recommendations.

A new grand jury is selected every year. Stubblefield and the rest of the new panel officially started their service July 7.

The new grand jury includes other North County residents: Ramona resident Raleigh Baker, a retired naval officer and research and development manager; Fallbrook resident David Hatch, a retired Army soldier and county eligibility technician; and San Marcos resident Jacqueline Reeve, a retired radio personality.

To learn more about the San Diego Civil Grand Jury, go to http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/grandjury.

Call staff writer Teri Figueroa at 760-740-5442.