Barb Riley back on the school board after Monday appointment

School District 6 board of trustees unanimously appointed Barb Riley to fill the seat vacated by board member Scott Emmerich for the next year. Jill Rocksund was absent for the Monday night vote.

Emmerich resigned earlier this month after announcing he has cancer.

Board member Larry Wilson made the motion to “reluctantly accept” the resignation of Emmerich. 

Board member Dean Chisholm presented Emmerich with a gift from the board—a photo of Bowman Lake where Emmerich spent over 20 years as North Fork district ranger. 

“I’ve learned a lot from you myself,” Chisholm said. Emmerich always had a “sense of grace” while on the board, Chisholm said. 

Emmerich said he enjoyed bringing a different perspective to the board while maintaining harmony through contentious issues. He also said he enjoyed the humor shared between Wilson and Chisholm. Emmerich recalled that Wilson, also his mentor for 30 years, convinced him to apply for trustee seven years ago because it would be fun. Emmerich was diagnosed with a brain tumor in January. 

“I plan to beat it. I think I can. And my doctors think I can,” Emmerich said. “I have every reason to live.” He said he feels better now than he did three months ago, but is prepared for the long road to recovery that is still ahead. 

Chisholm said there’ll be a lot of people trying to fill Emmerich’s shoes. One of those roles is the discipline committee, which is now made up of Wilson and Chisholm.

Wilson recalled that the district policy to look at former trustees first was added when the board’s makeup was changing every year. And he believed it was still a good policy.

“With pleasure I nominate Barb Riley,” Wilson said. He noted that Riley got the next highest number of votes in the recent election. 

“It’s a happy sadness for me because of Scott,” Riley said once she was sworn in as trustee.

In other school board news:

• The board approved the resignation of Chris Finberg as freshman football coach.

• Samantha Jones was hired as third grade teacher at Glacier Gateway Elementary. Kris Queen was hired to kindergarten language intervention. Elizabeth Colleran was hired as elementary teacher at Glacier Gateway. Robert Tedlund was hired as freshman football coach and high school history teacher. Nia Vestal was hired as high school English teacher. Ron LaTray was hired as assistant football coach.