Monroe School Board appoints new District 1 representative

Shawn Anderson will replace longtime Monroe School Board member Jason Hutchinson.

The Monroe School District reports Anderson was tapped from a pool of two candidates following an Aug. 16 interview. He will hold the seat at least until the 2019 election cycle.

“We were very happy about the caliber of both of our applicants,” said board president Darcy Cheesman in a district news release. “It is great to know that our community members are interested and seek an active role in our schools. Shawn was selected due to his high level of experience working on a number of Governing Boards.”

Anderson was sworn in to serve District 1 at the board’s Aug. 27 meeting. He is a senior program manager with Microsoft and an adjunct faculty member at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. He also served with the Air National Guard in Maryland.

The new board member moved to Monroe in 2017. He sees taking the position as a way to give back and share his skill set.

“As a part time college professor and working in the tech industry, I am very interested in ensuring that our students receive the best possible education possible, especially in STEM programs,” Anderson said in the release.

Hutchinson resigned in May to become a business owner in his hometown of Walla Walla. His fellow board members gave him a sendoff in May.

They had 90 days to name his replacement. District 1 includes parts of Woods Creek, Pipeline and Wagner roads.