BETHEL — After only two weeks as its new chairman, Bethel SAD 44 Director John Walker has resigned his new post, saying he has decided he does not currently have the time to give to the position that it requires.
Walker, a 2016 graduate of Telstar High School, was elected over incumbent Marcel Polak of Woodstock on Aug. 26.
In a letter to his fellow directors shared at Monday night’s board meeting, Walker wrote:
“I have decided to resign as chair of the MSAD 44 board. Before doing that, I want to take just a couple of minutes to explain my decision.
“First, I want to say how honored I am that the board elected me to this position. I have been on the board for a relatively short time and the fact that even so, my colleagues chose me as chair is really gratifying to me. I hope that they did so because they know how committed I am to the mission and business of this district. I am committed. And I am excited about the various initiatives that we face over the coming year.
“But after giving it a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that I simply do not have the time to devote to the position that it will need. I have both professional and personal commitments that I know will require significant attention over the coming months and I have also made the decision not to run again when my term is up in June, so I think this board will be better served under Bonnie’s leadership. She also is committed to the district and she is able to provide the continuity necessary to lead us.
“Make no mistake about it, although I am resigning as chair, I intend to be fully involved as a member of the board. This is a great district facing challenging times and I believe I will be best suited to assist in our business as a member of the board, just not the chair.”
Vice Chairman Bonnie Largess of Newry has now assumed the chairman position, according to Supt. Dave Murphy, and Vice Chairman Pro Tempore Carol Everett of Bethel will be the vice chairman.
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