Clawson School Board Appoints Thomas Reed to Vacancy
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 16, 2014)
After a lengthy interview process with ten applicants, on Monday the Clawson School Board appointed Thomas J. Reed, Jr. to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of trustee Linda Grossmann.
Reed had been a write-in candidate in the November election. When he decided to run there had been three people on the ballot for four vacant seats. He and fellow Clawsonite Andrea Hodges both launched write-in campaigns. It took the Board of Canvassers three weeks to reveal that Hodges had won. Hodges got 130 write-in votes, while Reed got 72.
With Hodges set to take her position in January, things took an unexpected turn. Trustee Linda Grossmann was recorded during a November school board meeting making a joke about kids with allergies, stating “you could just shoot them.”
The public outcry sent Grossmann packing, and left the Clawson School Board with an immediate vacancy to fill.
The vacancy was filled by appointment through a board candidate selection process. Ten candidates were interviewed:
Dorothy Brandes
Ryan F. Carron-Smith
Michael Frink
Jeff Heng
Greg Hildebrandt
Mary Maconochie
James Pfaff
Thomas Reed, Jr.
Michelle Ridky
Marcella Whitelam
Reed was appointed and is currently serving the remainder of Grossman’s term, which expires December 31, 2016.
Reed has lived in Clawson most of his life and is a graduate of Clawson Public Schools. He is the chief grant consultant specializing in education and entrepreneurship for Third Coast Consultants, bringing to the table good communication skills.
“One of the questions they asked me [in the interview] was how I handle conflict resolution,” Reed said. “I think if everyone feels like their input is being heard, and people stick to facts, that you’re able to come to a better compromise.”
Reed said he’s very proud of the district, and the fact that he was able to start his business with two fellow Clawson grads. Now his seven-year-old daughter attends Schalm Elementary, and he hopes to be around to make a difference in the district for her sake. “She’s a pretty good kid overall,” Reed said. “I don’t know that she understands what a School Board is, but she knows daddy gets to do something that he really wanted, so she’s happy for me.”
To learn more about the Clawson School District see http://www.clawson.k12.mi.us/pages/Clawson_Public_Schools.