Following the Nov. 5 elections, Region 4 Board of Education board member Kate Sandmann of Essex was voted in as the new chairman at the board’s Nov. 6 meeting. Former chairman Jennifer Clark, who led the board for the past two years, said that she is excited about working with Sandmann in a new capacity.

“I am pleased to be stepping down and enthusiastically support Kate Sandmann as chair. She has a track record of community service, deep community connections, and has been involved in our schools for more than 20 years,” Clark said. “I am confident that under her leadership our Region 4 Board will continue to provide an outstanding education and social development for all our children.”

Sandmann, who has significant involvement in the local education arena, as well as a managerial background (she previously served as a manager at the Griswold Inn), said she is eager to get down to business in her new post.

Sandmann served as the president of the Essex Elementary School PTO from 2004 through 2009, the leader of the John Winthrop Parent Council from 2010 through 2013, and the leader of the Valley Regional High School Parent Council from 2011 through 2017 while concurrently serving as the vice president of the Essex Elementary School PTO from 2010 through 2011. Her hope, she said, is to facilitate more transparency and better communication between the community and the board moving forward.

“We have such a fantastic, smart, capable team in place on the Region 4 Board of Education with a variety of different perspectives; we all want to focus on what’s important and what’s best for our kids,” said Sandmann. “We all have a dedicated commitment to our community, and I’m grateful to be able to work with this board and new Superintendent Brian White so we can bring our positivity for our school system to the community.”

She added, “I am hopeful that we can address and correct past issues to the best of our abilities and move our focus to prioritizing the support of our schools, our teachers, our students, our staff, and our administration.”

“I am looking forward to the board continuing its valuable work for the children of Region 4 with Kate Sandmann as the chair,” said board member D.G. Fitton. “We have faced a number of enormous challenges over the past year and a fresh start and new perspective will be of great value. I am hopeful that the board can complete its work, tightening up our financial procedures and move ahead with the important work of education.”

At the same board meeting, Jane Cavanaugh was re-elected as vice chairman, Rick Daniels was elected secretary, and Fitton was elected treasurer.