EVERETT — At least two candidates who weren’t selected to fill the seat of former Everett School Board member Jeff Russell say they’re interested in being considered as a replacement for Jessica Olson, who resigned last week with two years remaining of her six-year term.
Both potential applicants were finalists for Russell’s position, which was filled last week with the appointment of Caroline Mason, and both said they want to be considered for Olson’s seat:
Traci Mitchell manages pharmacy services and infection control at Valley General Hospital in Monroe. She is vice president of the executive board of the Everett Public Schools Foundation and is a PTA volunteer at Gateway Middle School. She has a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Washington.
Kristine Petereit is fund development coordinator at the Dawson Place Child Advocacy Center. She has a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Washington, is co-president of the James Monroe Elementary Parent Teacher Association and has served on the board of the Everett Public Schools Foundation.
Interested candidates have until Jan. 23 to apply for Olson’s seat. Applicants are asked to submit biographical information as well as a statement explaining their interest in being a school board member.
Others who applied for Russell’s seat said they’re unsure whether they will apply again to be considered for Olson’s position.
George Reynolds, a finalist for Russell’s seat, works at Columbia Bank as a specialist in non-profit and municipal finance. He has a master’s degree in business from Seattle University. Reynolds said he thinks his background could be of help to the board in issues such as bonds, budgeting and capital allocation.
Two people who previously ran unsuccessful campaigns for the school board — Rodman Reynolds and Cristopher Larson — were not selected as one of five finalists for Russell’s seat.
Rodman Reynolds said he would be open to being nominated as a candidate for Olson’s seat but would not directly apply. Larson said he is undecided on whether to re-apply.
As of Monday afternoon, no one had been nominated by the public to be considered for Olson’s seat, said Mary Waggoner, school district spokeswoman.
Myrna Overstreet, who was a finalist for Russell’s seat, said she will not apply again. Overstreet has served on the board of Everett’s Imagine Children’s Museum and was a founding board member of the Community Health Center of Snohomish County.
The school board interviewed each of the candidates for Russell’s seat during a six-hour meeting on Thursday. They unanimously voted to select Mason.
Finalists for Olson’s seat will undergo a similar process, which includes being interviewed by school board members for about 45 minutes during a public meeting.
The five-member school board lost two members in a little more than a month with the resignations of Russell and Olson.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
Application process
Nominations from the public of candidates to fill the Everett School Board seat previously held by Jessica Olson will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. Thursday at superintendent@everettsd.org.
Anyone interested in directly applying for the job needs to submit an application by Jan. 23. Finalists will be selected by the school board on Jan. 24 and interviewed on Feb. 3.
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