Unit 1 seats new board member

Dan Engelhardt has been appointed as the newest member of the Unit 1 Board of Education.
Engelhardt, of Diamond, was seated by the board on Jan. 6 to fill the the vacancy left by long-term member Jeff Emerson, who resigned November 2020.
Emerson recommended that his replacement be selected from those seeking a position in the April 6 election.
On the advice of Emerson, the Board extended an invitation to each person who had obtained a candidate petition to be interviewed for the appointment.
At a special meeting on Dec. 16, board members interviewed—during open session—Steve Rogers, Adam Brncich and Engelhardt.
“The Board appreciated the passion and commitment all three candidates displayed during the interviews,” stated a release issued by the Board.
It was after significant discussion in two closed door talks that the Board chose Engelhardt.
Superintendent Dr. Kent Bugg pointed out it was during those discussions, the Board expressed a desire to seat the candidate who best filled the role Emerson served for the Board.
“Mr. Engelhardt has multiple years of service as a law enforcement officer and serves on the school district’s School Safety Committee. These experiences made him a logical choice to fulfill Mr. Emerson's role on the school district's Discipline Committee,” Bugg said.
Engelhardt has also been involved in community youth athletics and has a son involved in high school athletics, which the board indicated made him a natural fit to assume the post Emerson had as the Board’s representative on the District's Athletic Committee. He has also recently served as a community representative on the school district's COVID Planning Citizens Advisory Committee.
The board had 60 days to fill the seat. Engelhardt will serve until the election in April.
His name will appear on the ballot along with those of Rogers, Brncich and incumbent members Shawn Hamilton, vice president and board secretary Mary Gill.
Three individuals will be elected to the board this spring and seated in May for a four-year term.