San Diego

Former state Sen. Jim Ellis of El Cajon was appointed Wednesday to a four-year term on the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board by Gov. George Deukmejian.

Ellis, with 13 years’ experience as a state legislator, was a “natural” choice for a post on the five-member board, said Donna Lucas of the governor’s press office. “We try to select individuals who have a working knowledge of the agricultural area, and who don’t have strong ties to either the pro-labor or pro-grower groups,” Lucas said.

Ellis, 60, will take his $79,000-a-year post Jan. 1, and has one year to have his appointment confirmed by the state Senate. He will fill a vacancy left by Wayne Smith, who was appointed last January but missed confirmation during a Senate vote in September.

Ellis was in Texas Wednesday and not available for comment.

He was a Republican senator representing the 39th District from 1980 until his retirement this month. He served in the state Assembly for the 77th District from 1976 to 1980 and was a San Diego City Council member from 1973-1976.

The ALRB, a semi-judicial board created in 1975, oversees labor regulations and serves as arbitrator between the unions and the growers, according to Lucas.