Annie Hughes. File photo from 2017.
The Harrisburg School District has a new board member.
At a meeting on Tuesday, Receiver Dr. Lori Suski appointed city resident Annie Hughes to fill a board seat left vacant by former director Jim Thompson, who recently passed away.
During the meeting, district officials and the board weighed two candidates who submitted letters of interest: Hughes, a Penn State employee and professional coach/consultant, and Heavenly Smith, a Susquehanna Township Parks and Recreation program coordinator. One additional person submitted a letter of interest, but did not attend the meeting.
Hughes will serve a one-year term, before the two-year seat is up for election.
Although the board does not have any voting power while the district is under receivership, except for the power to levy taxes, Suski allowed each director to share their preference between the two candidates. The vote came out to 5-2 in favor of Hughes, with one abstention.
Hughes is a nine-year resident of Harrisburg and currently works as the statewide coordinator for Penn State’s Invent Penn State Innovation Network. She also serves as the co-founder of Hughes Coaching & Consulting LLC. Hughes also previously served as the president and a board member of neighborhood group Friends of Midtown.
“I know that the school district has been going through challenges; I’m a person who appreciates working on problem-solving, creating structure around implementing solutions,” Hughes said at the meeting. “I think I can do some good.”
For more information about the Harrisburg School District, visit their website.
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