Hanover
Richard Johnson, the one newcomer, is a former Marine with a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School who served as assistant Vermont attorney general and in leadership positions at Dartmouth College and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Johnson, who called himself the “proud father” of a daughter at Richmond Middle School and a son at Hanover High, promised to bring his management skills to bear in providing a “innovative and financially sustainable” education to schoolchildren.
“I will work for complete transparency in our budget process and pledge to wisely manage and oversee the use of our tax dollars,” he said in a statement. “While I recognize I do not have answers to all the issues the board will face over the next several years, I vow to thoroughly examine each issue.”
Mimi Lichtenstein, the School Board’s current vice chair, was chairwoman during what she described as a “choppy” period that involved the resignation of the Ray School principal, Matt Laramie, over concerns about use of school accounts, and searches to replace several other key administrators.
Laramie has not faced legal charges stemming from his use of school funds.
“In the course of my tenure, we have tackled a broad range of matters, with some notable accomplishments: passing successful budgets in the face of financial challenges, hiring several talented administrators and creating the HHS strategic plan,” Lichtenstein said in an email.
“There have been choppy waters too. In handling these responsibilities, it was my goal throughout to ensure to that our policies and decisions reflected our community’s values,” she said.
Lichtenstein pledged, if re-elected, “to again commit the time to do the job to the best of my ability.”
In addition to the Hanover School Board, Lichtenstein serves on the Dresden School Board, which takes members of both the Norwich and Hanover school districts’ governing bodies.
So do Hanover School Board members Carey Callaghan and David Sobel, both of whom are up for re-election this cycle.
Callaghan, who is chief investment officer for American Trust Investment Advisors of Lebanon, also serves on the Hanover Finance Committee and as chairman of the SAU 70 School Board, the fourth panel in the two-town district.
In a statement on Wednesday, Callaghan noted his leadership experience in Hanover-Norwich schools, having served for four years as the Dresden School Board chairman.
Neil Odell, of Norwich, now is chairman of that board.
That service has afforded Callaghan “significant expertise” in budgeting, contract negotiations, as well as good working relationships with district administrators and a “deep understanding of how our schools work,” he said.
“I am excited to be able to use this experience in working with new district leaders to make our schools even better,” Callaghan said.
Sobel was appointed to the Hanover School Board to fill a seat vacated by former member Leah Whalen. A veterinarian and 19-year Hanover resident, Sobel has two boys at the Ray School, as well as two older children who came up through the district.
Sobel said he had been an active parent in the schools for many years, but had become more involved lately with his service on the Ray School principal hiring committee and, now, the Hanover School Board.
“This past year has been a gratifying and important one for the school boards,” he said in a statement, which, along with Lichtenstein’s and Johnson’s, was provided by SAU officials.
“With important hiring, facilities and budgetary concerns, the work of the board has been thoughtful and diligent,” Sobel said in the statement. “We all benefit from our excellent school system, and the challenge we face is to continue to improve the quality of the educational offerings for our children and at the same time serve as thoughtful and prudent custodians of the public resources.
“I will be grateful for the opportunity to continue to do this important work.”
Voting for the Hanover School Board race will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, in the Hanover High gymnasium.
Rob Wolfe can be reached at rwolfe@vnews.com or 603-727-3242.
Correction
Hanover School Board candidate Richard Johnson has a daughter at Richmond Middle School and a son at Hanover High School. An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the gender of one of his children.