Meramec Valley R-III board member Dave Strong resigned his seat prior to the board’s special session Dec. 8.
Villa Ridge resident Mike Klenke, who served one term on the board from 2016-2019, was appointed by the remaining members to fill Strong’s vacancy.
Strong did not respond to a request for comment before press time Tuesday. The press release announcing the resignation did not include Strong’s reasons for stepping down.
He was elected to his first term in 2018 and reelected by voters in April. The board named him treasurer in 2019.
“On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to extend our gratitude to Dave Strong for serving on the Board for four years,” said board President Matt Trower in a statement. “Dave has been an integral part in moving our district forward and we will miss collaborating with him. We wish him well moving forward.”
District Superintendent Dr. Carrie Schwierjohn also thanked Strong for his leadership and service in a statement.
While Meramec Valley board policy directs the district to advertise a vacancy on its website and with local newspapers for a minimum of two weeks before filling it, the board voted to appoint Klenke via a special process.
A press release from the district announcing the resignation and appointment called Klenke a “key stakeholder” in the board’s planning for facility needs during his term. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and serves on the Eureka Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.
Klenke will serve until the seat is up for reelection in April 2023.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.