Her nomination will be voted on Tuesday by the County Council
Frederick, Md (KM) A candidate has been named to fill the vacant seat on the Frederick County Board of Education. During a public information briefing on Monday, County Executive Jan Gardner announced that Rae Gallagher had been chosen for the position. Once sworn in by the Board of Ed, Gallagher will fill the unexpired seat of Joy Schaefer, who resigned last month to become the Director of Government Affairs for the County Executive’s office.
Gallagher was among three candidates chosen by the Council, and sent to the County Executive for her consideration. Gardner said it wasn’t easy choosing from the three. “Anyone of the candidates would be a strong member. I would actively support each of them in a run for the Board of Education. That’s how strongly I feel about how well qualified these three individual are,” she says. “However, there is only one vacancy. So I had to make a difficult choice.”
The other two candidates are Sue Johnson, and Ron Peppe, a former member of the Board of Education.
Gardner said Gallagher has some very special experience. “She brings policy expertise that’s most similar to the policy background of Joy Schaefer. She is a problem solver. She has worked really hard in public policy and with implementation of that policy to help our most challenging students be successful in their education,” say Gardner.
Gallagher, a New Market resident, is a Program Director for the Center for Supportive Schools which works with schools and school districts to improve how learning happens. . “In her role, Ms. Gallagher provides support and leadership to stakeholders, both inside the school and out in the community,” says Gardner. “She has extensive management experience with the administration of non-profits, with a focus on youth and families, particularly those who live in underserved communities.”
After she’s sworn in, Gallagher will serve on the Board until December,2020. “She’s fully committed to running for the seat, and was fully committed to running for the seat, and was committed to that whether she was appointed or not,” says Gardner.
Following the announcement on November 6th, 2019 that Joy Schaefer was stepping down from the School Board, the County Council interviewed 17 candidates who applied for the soon-to-be-vacant seat. Following the interviews, the Council submitted three names to the County Executive for her consideration.
“Rae Gallagher is driven by her firm belief that all students deserve an opportunity to thrive and be successful,” Gardner says. “She understands that when our children are given the tools and training to succeed, our entire community is stronger as a result.”
By Kevin McManus