School board elects Colver president

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough School Board showed off its new look Wednesday by swearing in two new board members — and one kind-of new board member — to its ranks.

Palmer residents R. Ole Larson and Brian Sullivan are the newest additions to the board, with Larson beating out incumbent Pat Purcell in the Oct. 7 municipal election.

Myrl Thompson, who was appointed to the board in April, had to run for his seat to make it official.

In a power shift Wednesday, board member Jim Colver, a former deputy mayor in the Borough, was voted to the president’s seat, taking over for Sarah Welton, who had been board president for the past year.

When it came time to elect a new president a seemingly glimpse-into-the-future vote took place. Both Colver and Welton were nominated to fill the spot, Welton by board Member Colleen Hamblen and Colver by new board member Sullivan.

When it was time to vote, all the men on the board supported Colver, with the women supporting Welton.

Colver began running the meeting differently than Welton has during the past year. As he veered from the usual meeting protocol, Welton called Colver out many times on his variances, with Colver pushing back by claiming he’s going to be doing things a little different.

Colver was chided by Hamblen when he began talking during Superintendent George Troxel’s report, giving other board members a chance to ask questions.

In the past, Troxel gave his reports uninterrupted, with board members asking their questions during a separate time at the end of the meeting.

Colver told Hamblen he thinks it’s better to have a back-and-forth between board members and Troxel for the public’s benefit.

On Thursday, Hamblen said she thinks Colver will be a great president, calling him “knowledgeable,” and said the rough spots Wednesday night could have been first-time jitters.

Hamblen also got a new position at the meeting, becoming the board’s vice president.

“I was surprised,” Hamblen said of the nomination. “I think it will be a challenge.”

Susan Pougher, who was elected to the board last year, became its clerk. Pougher was unavailable for comment Thursday.

During a break in the meeting, Colver said observers will notice a change in the meetings under his leadership.

“My style’s going to be more of I want everyone to have an opportunity to speak,” Colver said.

Welton said she has “grave concerns” about Colver as board president and how he will relate with members of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly and local legislative delegation.

Colver counters that assessment, touting his six years on the Borough assembly and his time as deputy mayor.

“I have good relationships with a lot of those people,” he said. “I’ve passed more legislation and worked with many different people.”

What the new dynamic of the school board will mean for future meetings is unclear.

On Thursday, Sullivan said he’s “extremely happy” that Colver is the new board president.

“His point about discussing things as they come up in a meeting and just the informal kind of rules is how most legislative bodies work,” said Sullivan, who used to be a Washington state legislator.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Nov. 5 in the Palmer High School Upper Library.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.