Brandon Twp.- Five applied, three were nominated, but only one emerged victorious.
On Monday, the school board appointed Kevin McClellan to the trustee seat left open by Beth Nuccio, who has been elected county commissioner, district 1.
The 5-1 vote came after some confusion and debate. Trustee Debbie Schummer began by nominating McClellan. Trustee Luke Frye followed her nomination with a nomination for his favored candidate, Sherry Bonadies. That nomination was followed with one for Cody Hibbs, by Trustee Greg Allar. The initial vote on the McClellan nomination ended in a tie, with Schummer, Debbie Brady and Rob Privette voting yes, and Allar, Frye and Diane Wiley voting no. After some discussion of what proper procedure would be, including a question as to whether a coin flip might be in order, a second vote was taken on McClellan, which ended in a tie again.
The board then took a vote on the other two nominees, with the Bonadies appointment failing 4-2 (Frye and Wiley the yes votes) and Hibbs? appointment failing 5-1 (Allar the sole yes vote). Told they could not revote on the failed candidates, the board voted again on McClellan, with his appointment approved and Wiley the only no vote.
‘We had five really strong candidates,? said Privette, addressing the audience, which included the losing candidates. ‘I really encourage you to find another avenue to contribute. We need all the help we can get.?
In making her nomination of McClellan, Schummer noted he has Dale Carnegie training, a skill set important in a leadership role, and cited his experience working on budgets.
‘He will be a good addition to the team,? she said.
McClellan is division president of Assembly & Test Worldwide of Livonia, a global auto industry supplier. He has been with the company since 2006. McClellan earned his master’s degree in global management in 2001 from the University of Phoenix and received a bachelor’s degree in management from Ferris State University in 1989. He is married to Shannyn and they have three children, Kameron, a 2009 Brandon High School graduate, Konner, a BHS senior, and Karsyn, a Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School student.
‘I’m very pleased to be appointed,? said McClellan following the meeting. ‘Each of the candidates had their own strengths and weaknesses. There is a lot to learn going forward about procedures and issues. Fiscal issues and transparency with the public are my two driving issues… We have tough decisions to make and the community needs to be behind us so it gets done.?
Superintendent Lorrie McMahon was excited about the appointment of McClellan.
‘Kevin brings a lot of community experience, but he also has experience in business and in these fiscal times, that’s always and asset,? she said. ‘We are all interested in having him join us in making the school district the best it can be.?