A new leader is heading up the Pine-Richland School Board.
Laura Ohlund, 48, of Richland was named president of Pine-Richland School Board for a one-year term.
She takes over from Peter Lyons, 46, of Pine, who served as president for three years.
“The art of executive leadership is balancing long-term strategic planning with short-term issue resolution,” Ohlund said, of the leadership style she hopes to bring to the board. “Respect as a ground rule is non-negotiable.”
Ohlund won the position 6-3 over Lyons at the board's reorganization meeting on Dec. 2.
Ohlund and school directors Jeff Banyas, Holly Johnston, Virginia Goebel, Therese Dawson and Greg DiTullio voted for Ohlund. Lyons, Dennis Sundo and Marc Casciani voted for Lyons.
Banyas unanimously was re-elected school board vice president at the meeting. This will be his fifth year as vice president.
Ohlund said she hopes to bring depth and context to board meeting documentation so residents easily can access “how decisions are being made and how their tax dollars are being put to use,” she said.
Ohlund and her husband, Mark, moved to Richland 16 years ago. They have five children ranging from the fifth grade to a sophomore in college.
Her belief in the power of education and public representation was developed as a student going through grade school, she said. Ohlund lost a significant amount of her hearing ability as a young child but attended public schools rather than a special-education facility.
“Through a combination of wonderful parents, hard work and some excellent teachers, I went on not just to learn to communicate but to discover the empowerment that comes with a good education,” she said.
Ohlund has three degrees from Carnegie Mellon University: two bachelor's degrees — one in applied mathematics and computer science and the other is industrial engineering — and a master's in business administration. She has experience as a management consultant for Fortune 500 companies worldwide
She was elected to the board representing Richland Region 3 in November 2011. Her first term ends in 2015.
Rachel Farkas is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-772-6364 or rfarkas@tribweb.com.
