Cook

After two rounds of narrow ballot votes, the Altoona Area School Board appointed Chris Cook to a vacant school director position Monday night.

Cook, whose appointment is effective immediately, will fill a two-year term on the school board that was vacated early last month by the resignation of previous board President Sharon Bream.

“I’m honestly ecstatic that the board voted and chose me,” said Cook, who was approved by a 7-1 vote after two rounds of voting, with the lone dissenting vote from board member Dave Francis.

Cook will fill the remainder of Bream’s term, which expires in December 2023.

Bream submitted her resignation to the board Dec. 5, with Superintendent Charles Prijatelj citing it as a retirement.

Cook, 41, is a 1998 graduate of Altoona Area High School and is the current owner of seven small businesses in Altoona.

He won the seat over seven other candidates, who all interviewed publicly before the board Monday night.

“This seems like an amazing opportunity that has presented itself,” Cook said. “I’m very excited to start.”

All eight candidates for the position, who were required to submit a letter of interest by Dec. 27, were given five minutes to speak before the board and explain why they wanted to become a school director.

In the initial voted conducted through a ballot system, board members Kelly Irwin-Adams, Val Mignogna, Eric Haugh and David Greenwood voted in favor of naming Cook; Francis, Ron Johnston and Frank Meloy voted for Tina Johnston; and Stephanie McGinnis provided the lone vote for Dave Aboud.

With no candidates receiving at least five votes through the first round, Cook, Aboud and Tina Johnston were invited for a round of follow-up interviews where they were questioned about how parents should be involved in the curriculum process.

After the follow-up question, Meloy switched his vote to Cook, providing him the necessary five votes to claim the vacant seat.

“I think that all eight candidates would have made an excellent choice,” Meloy said. “It was just a matter of trying to narrow it down to one person. There wasn’t any one special thing that influenced me. We just had to narrow it down to one person.”

A final round of voting was held to approve Cook’s appointment, with all board members except Francis voting yes.

Cook, who previously served as treasurer with the Second Avenue United Methodist Church and is a current board member of the Blair County Arts Foundation, said he hopes to bring an extra voice of reason to the board.

“I want to be a part of a team,” said Cook, whose daughter is a student at the Altoona Area High School. “I don’t want to jump in here as a spearhead or a bull. I want to be able to contribute and be a team player.”

Several candidates with varying backgrounds lobbied for the vacant position.

Tina Johnston, who is the wife of Ron Johnston and taught at the Altoona Area High School for 26 years, said she sought the position to provide more representation at the secondary level.

She just missed the cut during the November general election as she vied for one of four seats on the board, but she finished fifth.

“I wanted to bring some secondary education experience to the board,” Tina Johnston said. “We have wonderful elementary representation on the board, and I think that people currently on the board can speak very well to elementary elements. But I feel that there isn’t a voice for the high school, and those kids are very important.”

Aboud, who taught at the district for 41 years and retired in 2019, showed an interest in the opening to give back to the district and to continue his extracurricular duties.

He served as student council adviser for 40 years and was twice named PA Student Council Adviser of the Year, and he wanted to create additional opportunities for students to engage with the community.

“I really want to continue being involved with the school and helping others,” Aboud said.

Among the other candidates that interviewed for the position but were not provided a follow-up interview included former school director Rick Hoover, who served on the board for four years and finished his term in December.

Hoover’s presentation to school directors included his familiarity with the board’s procedures, and he said he believes he could have provided an easier transition.

“I am 100% up to speed,” Hoover said. “I know the procedures (and) I know the committees. I have a good working relationship with the administration, teachers and students. If you put me into that spot, I’m good to go on Day One.”

Trudy Peterman, a former assistant superintendent in another district, lauded her experience as an administrator.

Peterman touted her experience in budgeting, collective bargaining and daily operations, noting that she would be an informed member of the board.

Another former district employee, Michael Pappas, worked as a custodian for 35 years and said he thought he was prepared to uphold the responsibilities of a job of “prestige and responsibility.”

“I’m here because I care that deeply about our kids and our town,” Pappas said.

Natalie Barlick-Reed, a Penn Cambria alumni who works as an emergency and intensive care oncology nurse, touted her experience in grant writing as well as familiarity with local, state and federal laws.

“I would value facts and knowledge over hearsay,” she said.

Kelly (Williams) Bowers has a child with special needs in the district and sought the position to provide more opportunities for children who suffer the same challenges as her own.

“I’ve really spent the last 12 years into bridging the gap between special needs students and the district,” said Bowers, adding that she has worked with the district as a special education aide.

Following the meeting, Francis encouraged those that interviewed to put their names on the 2023 ballot for school director.

Mirror Staff Writer Calem Illig is at 814-946-7535.