The Keene Board of Education on Tuesday appointed Heather Gilligan from among five candidates to serve in an interim capacity for the next seven months.
Gilligan, a music professor at Keene State College, beat out Scott Ansevin-Allen, a dean at Landmark College in Vermont and former Keene school board member, in a final 5-3 vote.
Rebecca Lancaster vacated the seat Gilligan will fill in late July after taking a teaching job at Keene Middle School. District rules prohibit school board members from being district employees.
Gilligan’s appointment was decided by rounds of voting by board members. In each round, the candidate with the least amount of votes is eliminated, per district rules.
On Tuesday night, three candidates received zero votes in the first round, immediately clearing the field for a final vote between Gilligan and Ansevin-Allen.
The board was split 4-4 during the first vote between Gilligan and Ansevin-Allen, before Chair George Downing switched his vote to Gilligan to avoid a tie.
The other candidates vying for the seat comprised Debra Hunter, Brian Phillips and Jason Washer.
“I know that, collectively, my testimony and my presence at rallies contributes to effective change at the state level, and I will continue to speak out, but it’s not enough,” Gilligan said during the meeting. “I want to be involved in the conversations taking place right here in Keene, and I want to help shape the policies and decisions that will lead to successful educational experience in our district.”
Gilligan has served as Keene State’s music department chair and on several committees within the college, she said. She said after the meeting that she plans to run again in March for a full, three-year term.
Noah Diedrich can be reached at 603-355-8569, or ndiedrich@keenesentinel.com.
These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
