BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—Clay County Public Schools swore in a new board member representing the Keystone Heights area during a Nov. 22 organizational meeting. Michele Hanson of Middleburg won the District 4 seat during the August primary by defeating Keystone Heights resident Tina bullock with 55% of the vote.
Hanson taught in Clay County schools for 18 years. She holds a master’s degree in special education with a certificate in educational leadership. In 2016 she won the Florida Agricultural Teacher of the Year award. She also won school-level teacher of the year three times and was a finalist for the countywide award once.
Hanson served for three years on the State Curriculum Advisory Commission.
“I currently have nine teaching certifications,” she said while running for the school board, “but spent most of my years teaching English and Intensive Reading from fourth through tenth grade.”
Hanson said that having a daughter that followed in her footsteps to become a teacher was one of her proudest moments as a mother.
Also sworn in for her first term was Fleming Island representative Erin Skipper. Ashley Gilhousen of Green Cove Springs took the oath of office for her third, four-year term on the school district’s governing board.
Gilhousen’s colleagues elected her as chair of the board for the year. The panel elected outgoing chair Mary Bolla as vice-chair.
Superintendent David Broskie presented Bolla with a word cloud to commemorate her service as chair.
“Traditionally, we had a plaque that we gave, and it was kind of a nondescript plaque, so we decided to go off-script and do something entirely different that we’ve never done before in honoring our chair,” Broskie said.
The superintendent said the collection of words in different sizes and fonts was arranged in the shape of an apple. He added that several district employees were asked to contribute comments that they felt described Bolla.
“There are several words that are on here:” Broskie said, “conscientious, optimistic, genuine, respected, honest, authentic, kind, empathetic and modest. All of those certainly describe Mary Bolla.”
