At a shortened meeting Monday, the Mancos RE-6 Board of Education swore in new members, thanked departing members and assigned offices and responsibilities to the new board.
At the beginning of the meeting, Superintendent Todd Cordrey thanked former board president Pamela Coppinger and board member Katie Cahill-Volpe for their service to the board for the past four years.
Cordrey presented Coppinger and Cahill-Volpe a gift to commemorate their time on the board. Cahill-Volpe was presented with a plaque made on campus, and Coppinger with a gavel, since she would be leaving hers with the new board president.
Cordrey noted their hard work and diligence, saying that they had been part of the “most professional board I’ve been associated with.”
He spoke of achievements and improvements that had been part of Cahill-Volpe’s and Coppinger’s time on the board, which included implementing and creating a strategic plan, formulating a new superintendent evaluation, improving and updating policies and procedures and shepherding the district through the pandemic.
“We thank Pam Coppinger and Katie Cahill-Volpe for their dedication to the Mancos School Board and their last four years of service,” the district said in a newsletter on Wednesday.
Next, the board swore in their new members. Tim Hunter was reelected, and new members Craig Benally and Rachel McWhirter took turns promising to uphold the U.S. and Colorado Constitutions while doing what is in the best interest of students and the district.
Hunter, Benally and McWhirter beat out candidates Blake Mitchell and Adriana Stimax on election night.
All three members were sworn in by Montezuma County Judge Jenni-Lynn Lawrence before the new board began discussing who would take on the board positions and responsibilities.
After discussion, it was decided that Emily Hutcheson-Brown will replace Coppinger as president, Tim Hunter will be vice president, Victor Figueroa as director, Benally as secretary and McWhirter as treasurer.
Figueroa, who was formerly the vice president, moved to the director position so he can take over the Colorado Association of School Boards representative position. This position was formerly held by Coppinger.
Benally took on the Mancos United representative position from Hunter and Hutcheson-Brown, who had been on the Mancos United board until receiving their new positions as president and vice president.
McWhirter said she would take the BOCES representative position, formerly held by Cahill-Volpe, saying she was very interested in learning more about the organization and why the Montezuma-Cortez school district pulled out of BOCES. She said she would do her best to determine if BOCES was still the best thing for the Mancos School District.
After a few brief business items following the assignment of roles, the board adjourned their meeting.
The next Mancos school board meeting, with their new board, will take place on Monday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m.
