At a special meeting Monday night, the Chehalis School District Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint Larry Petersen to the vacant District 2 seat on the board.
The seat was recently vacated by Alan Browning, who resigned from the board in May.
After receiving applications from two applicants, Petersen and Lindsey Ulrich, for the vacancy, the Chehalis School Board conducted interviews at a special meeting on Monday, June 10.
Petersen was administered the oath of office after a roll call by the board members and immediately began his duties as a Chehalis School Board director.
Petersen, who is retired from the insurance industry, previously served on the Chehalis School Board for four years until the end of his term in 2023. Petersen's two daughters graduated from W.F. West High School and he now has two grandchildren attending Chehalis schools, according to the Chehalis School District.
When asked why he wanted to serve in the position, Petersen said that even after his term as a school board director ended, he continued to be involved in the Chehalis School District. He is currently a part of the Facilities Committee as well as assisting with district budgeting activities.
"I enjoy the atmosphere of dealing with the public and the administration and seeing the end result of what we can accomplish when we do a good job for the kids," Petersen told the board.
Chehalis School Board members remarked that both Petersen and Ulrich were both strong candidates.
They extended an invitation to Ulrich, a 2007 W.F. West graduate and budget analyst for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, to a district Budget Committee starting this fall.
