Hamburg School Board elected a new president and vice-president and also welcomed two new school directors to the fold at the board’s reorganization meeting on Dec. 1.
Brian Specht and Andrew Raugh were elected as president and vice-president, respectively.
Specht, who has served as a school director for 14 years, fills the vacancy of president which was created when Brooke Adams retired after 28 years on the board.
“I have some big shoes to fill in this seat,” Specht said. “Brooke left us in a good position. A lot of work has been done in the last few months and I hope to build upon that.”
Raugh, who has been a school director for six years, fills the vacancy left by Marianna Burns as vice-president.
Two new school directors also took the oath of office.
Cory M. Johnson fills the vacancy in Region 1 left by Adams’ departure and Bradley R. Faust fills the vacancy in Region 3 left by Burns.
Johnson is a military technician and public affairs officer for the Pennsylvania National Guard.
“I grew up here and graduated from Hamburg,” Johnson said. “I am a Hawk. I have kids in the district and I want to be more involved.”
Faust previously served on the board for six years in the mid-90s.
“I’m retired now and have more time (to serve),” said Faust, who is a Strausstown resident.
The nine-member board consists of Todd Hummel, Brian Riegel and Johnson in Region 1, Natalie Snow, Specht and Raugh in Region 2 and Duane Crider, Lolly Lesher and Faust in Region 3.
Region 1 consists of Hamburg, Region 2 includes Perry and Windsor Townships and Shoemakersville and Region 3 includes Strausstown and the townships of Tilden, Upper Bern and Upper Tulpehocken.
School directors also elected the firm of Antanavage Farbiarz, PLLC as solicitor for 2016 at a cost of $5,500 which reflects no increase from 2015.
Alexa Antanavage will serve as chief counsel.
In other news, school directors elected Michael “Mick” O’Neil of Fleetwood as the high school girls’ soccer head coach at a stipend of $5,941.
“I look forward to the opportunity,” O’Neil said after his election. “I’m excited about moving the program forward.”
The next meeting of school directors is Monday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the James A. Gilmartin Community Room.