Alameda School Board Appoints New Member

ALAMEDA, CA — At its meeting on Tuesday, March 14, the Board of Education for the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) appointed Anne McKereghan to the seat left empty when Board Member Solana Henneberry died last month.

McKereghan, a local realtor, is the former President for the Alameda Association of Realtors, the current Northern County Director for the Bay East Association of Realtors, and Regional Chair for the California Association of Realtors. She has served on the Alameda Education Foundation board since 2003 and the Alameda Boys and Girls Club board since 2014, and she was Secretary for the League of Women Voters of Alameda in 2016. She was the fundraising chair for the Measure E and A parcel tax campaigns and a member of the Measure A Oversight Committee for three years. She was also a member of the steering committee for the campaign for the Measure I facilities bond.

McKereghan ran for the Board of Education in November 2016, when three seats were open. She came in fourth, with 10,597 votes. Several board members noted that although the pool of applicants was highly qualified, the fact that McKereghan ran for a seat during the election and came in fourth meant that she was the logical choice for appointment.

“We had nine phenomenal candidates,” Board President Gary Lym said in the meeting. “(But) I favor respecting, supporting, and honoring the Alameda voters’ next choice on the ballot to fill this vacant seat on the board. This appointment would seat the five highest vote getters of the last two school elections who were able to serve.”

McKereghan begins her term, which ends in 2018, immediately. “Having the opportunity to represent our community on behalf of students, teachers, and staff is a privilege and one I take very seriously,” she says. “My hope is to honor Member Henneberry by striving to meet the unwavering dedication she demonstrated during her time on the board.”

Superintendent Sean McPhetridge said he welcomes McKereghan’s extensive experience in community service, especially in matters of education. “I have known Anne for many years,” he said, “and I have long admired her energy, her tenacity, and her depth of knowledge about educational funding and policy. It gives me great pleasure to address her as ‘Board Member McKereghan.’”

-Announcement and photo from AUSD