In the end, Andrea Letham was voted in for board position #5, and her interim-tenure began July. 1.
“I get my marching orders (on July. 1) and will have my first board meeting on (July. 14),” Letham said. “I’m looking forward to working with the board members and the school administration. They seem like a good group to work with.”
Letham steps in for Phillips-Hotchkiss who announced her resignation in May, and attended her last meeting on June 9. She leaves the position a year-earlier than expected.
Phillips-Hotchkiss resigned the position due to conflicting obligations between her duties as a food services caterer for the forest service where they supply the firefighters at fires for all meals and those of being a board member.
“Tege fights fires in the summer so her resignation was for personal professional reasons,” Sean Gallagher, District #7 superintendent said. “I’m really excited to have Andrea on board. She is a real go getter and is well vested in our schools and our community.”
Phillips-Hotchkiss, who Gallagher said was gone most of the summer last year, was unavailable for comment.
Letham is encouraged by the methodology the board uses to achieve its aims.
“I’ve been on the district’s budget committee and have seen how the board, especially Chairman (Greg) Larson does such a nice job of administrating and keeping it real,” Letham said. “You are allowed an opinion and even if there is agreement or not everyone still works well together. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Letham heard about the opening while working on the budget committee and decided to apply for the position.
“And here we are,” she said.
As an interim board member, Letham will hold the position officially until June 30, 2009. Her position will be up for election for the term starting in July of 2009.
Letham has been a member of the Union and Fremont-Hay parents’ clubs and hopes that experience will pay off at this level.
“I have a vested interest in education and this community,” Letham said. “I really hope to do something that positively contributes to this community.”

...for the rest of the story, refer to this week's Lake County Examiner.