During today’s special meeting, the FMS Board of Education appointed a new member to fill the vacant seat left by Board Member Kyle Rhodes (District 4). As you may recall, Mr. Rhodes served the district for twelve years before stepping down last month.
Two candidates, Ms. Barbara Luna Tedrow and Ms. Krista McWilliams, were interviewed in a public session that lasted for an hour. Following a brief deliberation also held in an open session, the Board chose Ms. Luna Tedrow as the successful candidate. Ms. Luna Tedrow will serve in the position until the next scheduled school district election.
My love and passion for children influence my decisions, Ms. Luna Tedrow said, adding that she makes herself available and that she likes to get involved in important topics for the community. She feels that one of the biggest challenges FMS is facing as a school district is dealing with mental health, because of what the families have gone through during the pandemic.
Ms. Luna Tedrow, the owner of A Gold Star Academy & Child Development Center, has an impressive background in leadership roles. She served as the Director of FACES First Ltd, President of the Tedrow Agency, and Human Resources Manager of CDK Contracting Services. Ms. Luna Tedrow played an instrumental role alongside former FMS Superintendent Ryan in the establishment of the NM PreK program. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico and a Masters of Business Administration from the College of Santa Fe.
I believe that the public has the right to speak at board meetings and that it is important to feature it in every meeting, Ms. McWilliams said. She mentioned that she would ensure that all students receive an equitable education by using minimum requirements and that students should be taught the same at every grade in every school. I’m a wife, a mom, and an engineer, she said, and her passion is the community. The most significant challenges? To continue to shrink the achievement gap and, second, focus on safety.
Ms. McWilliams, the Vice President of Operations Engineering at LOGOS Energy, has a wealth of experience. She was previously the President and Owner of Diamond Derrick Consulting Corporation and a Senior Production Engineer at ConocoPhillips/Burlington Resources. Ms. McWilliams currently serves on the board of directors of Four Corners Economic Development and has also served on the Aztec Municipal Schools Foundation. She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro, NM).
Both candidates had six minutes to ask questions of the Board of Education.
The application process was open from February 24 to March 10, 2023.
The FMS Board of Education recognized Kyle Rhodes (center), for his contribution to education during his twelve years of service to the district at last March’s regular board meeting. From left to right: Bobbi Newland (Chief Financial Officer), Chris Pash (Executive Director of Human Resources), Joan Vallee (Board Deputy Secretary), Robert Emerson (Chief of Technology), Nicole Lambson (Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction), Stephanie Thompson (Board President), Kyle Rhodes, Keith Corley (Board Vice President), Cody Diehl (Superintendent), Nathan Pierantoni (Executive Director of Support Services), Ted Lasiewicz (Chief of Operations), Colton McClanahan (Board of Education Executive Assistant), and Andra Stradling (Board Secretary).
The next Regular Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.