Four Utica Community Schools Board of Education members were elected by their colleagues as officers at the January 14 organizational meeting.
The Board elected Dr. Robert Ross as president, Dr. Mary Thomas as vice president, Mrs. Michele Templeton as treasurer, and Mrs. Denyeal Nesovski as secretary for 2019.
Dr. Ross, unanimously elected as president, will preside over regular and special meetings and provide leadership duties as required by the office.
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He brings experience and stability to the role of Board president. Dr. Ross has served on the Board since 2004, including the past seven years as treasurer. Over the past 15 years, UCS has continued to receive unmodified audits from its independent auditor – the highest level of fiscal accountability.
“The election of officers to the Board of Education is an important, solemn responsibility,” President Dr. Robert Ross said. “The Board is a fiduciary of the district and our members are committed to the responsible financial management and good stewardship of taxpayer funds.”
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A Sterling Heights resident and professor at University of Detroit Mercy, Dr. Ross has four children who have graduated from the district.
Dr. Thomas will serve as the Board’s vice president. A four-year member of the Board, Dr. Thomas is a counselor at Oakland Community College. She has one child in Utica Community Schools.
Templeton was elected as treasurer after serving two years as the Board’s vice president. A resident of Sterling Heights who has been on the board for 14 years, Templeton is a lifelong resident of the district and the parent of a Utica Community School graduate.
Nesovski, a two-year member, will serve as the Board’s secretary. A Shelby Township resident, she has three children who attend Utica Community Schools. She is a data analyst at United Shore Financial Services, Inc.
Trustees for 2019 are Mrs. Jennifer Prybys, Mrs. Kimberly Becker and Mrs. Kelli Rankin.
Prior to the organizational meeting, a swearing in ceremony was held for three Board members elected in November, 2018. Oaths of office for six-year terms were administered to incumbent Templeton and newly elected members, Becker and Rankin.
The UCS Board of Education remains committed to working collaboratively to implement the district’s strategic direction and district priorities that continue the tradition of academic excellence.
Source: Utica Community Schools
Dr. Christine Johns, Superintendent of Schools
