Two Apply For Vacant Cherokee School Board Chair

Sign up for the Canton-Sixes Patch newsletter!

---

Only two people have submitted their names to be considered to serve out the unexpired term of former Cherokee County School Board Chair Janet Read.

Current District 1 board member Kyla Cromer and former school board member Fred Larsen are the two candidates the board will consider choosing at its July 22 meeting. The person chosen will serve out the rest of Read’s term, which expires in December 2016.

At the school board’s June 11 meeting, Read announced her resignation from the post to accept a position as community outreach liaison in Cherokee County for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Under Georgia law, if a vacancy occurs more than two years and 90 days before an elected official’s term is set to expire, an interim appointment would be made until a special election could be held in conjunction with a general election to fill the seat.

If the vacancy occurs less than two years and 90 days before the term expires, the governing body can appoint a successor until the term expires.

Larsen, 64, is a resident of Towne Lake and is an account manager with Lamb, Britt, Gilbert and Associates.

He was first elected to the former Post 5 seat in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002. When reached by phone on Wednesday, Larsen said he had to resign the seat in September 2005 because he moved out of the post he represented.

While on the board, Larsen served as the vice chair in 2000 and chairman in 2001. He was also an ex-officio member of the Blue Ribbon Committee established to hash out how the school district could deal with critical overcrowding in its facilities.

Larsen graduated in 1974 from the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree. In 1984, he received his master’s degree from the University of New Orleans. He and wife, Nancy Marie Holmgren-Larsen, have two adult children.

According to his application, Larsen taught high school English and as an adjunct instructor for college freshman and sophomores on literature, grammar and mass communications.

Larsen indicated he would consider running for the seat if he’s selected for the position.

Cromer, who was initially appointed to the seat in June 2014, was subsequently elected to the post later that year during a special election to serve out the term of former board member Kelly Trim, who had to resign after she was convicted of felony false statement charges.

A longtime PTA volunteer with in Cherokee County schools, Cromer has held many offices with the organization including school PTA president, vice president of the Cherokee County Council of PTA and PTA 13th District legislative chair.

Cromer, 51, worked as a public school teacher for seven years in Ohio before moving to Georgia, and served as director of education for Sylvan Learning Center of Woodstock for four years.

Cromer earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and volunteers with MUST Ministries and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. She and her husband, Randy, have two daughters, one of which is enrolled in college and another who attends school in the Cherokee County School District.

Cromer also said she’d consider running for the school board chair position.

---

Photo: Kyla Cromer, left and Fred Larsen