The Penn-Harris-Madison school board voted unanimously to appoint two new members Wednesday morning. That’s after two board members resigned last month.
According to a release, the board appointed James Turnwald to serve the remainder of Jaye Galloway’s term in Penn Township Seat 1.
Turnwald is the executive director of the Michiana Area Council of Governments and a board member of the Potawatomi Zoo. The release says two of his four daughters are enrolled at Meadow’s Edge Elementary School in Mishawaka.
Ryan McCullough, a Penn High School graduate and volunteer freshman football coach, will fill the remainder of Jamie Woods’ term in Penn Township Seat 2.
The release says McCullough was a member of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team from 2004 to 2005 and is the sales and marketing executive for Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle in Denver, Colorado. He and his wife, also a Penn graduate, have a daughter who graduated from Penn in 2020 and a son still at the school.
“The Board warmly welcomes Ryan McCullough and James Turnwald,” Board President Christopher Riley said in a release. “Ryan and James will be terrific members of the P-H-M Board of School Trustees. Both gentlemen are forward thinking, collaborative, and committed to the success of P-H-M.”
Turnwald’s appointment expires at the end of 2022, while McCullough’s runs through 2024. Both can choose to run for election at that time.
Galloway was appointed to the school board in 2009 and elected to a full term in 2010. In a previous release, the district said she left to focus full-time on her position as director of operations for Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish Media full-time.
Woods was elected to the board in 2004. The district said he left after Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed him to the St. Joseph County Superior Court.
Eight finalists were interviewed for the two vacancies during special school board meetings on Nov. 29 and 30.
McCullough and Turnwald will be sworn in at the next regular school board meeting on Dec. 13.
Contact Gemma atgdicarlo@wvpe.orgor follow her on Twitter at@gemma_dicarlo.
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