Marilyn Koenninger

ESD 112 Board Member of 31 years, Marilyn Koenninger, was re-appointed to the ESD 112 Board of Directors at their November board meeting last week.

Koenninger will once again represent District 5, which includes Vancouver School District. She replaces Jennifer Hawks-Conright, who narrowly defeated Koenninger in the last election held in the fall of 2019.  Hawks-Conright was forced to resign recently when her family relocated out of the area.  The board appointed Koenninger to fill the vacancy until the position is up for election again in the fall of 2021.

Koenninger was originally elected to the ESD 112 board in 1988 and was the longest serving board member in ESD 112 history when she departed last year.

“We are very thankful to Marilyn for stepping up to fill this board vacancy,” said Tim Merlino, ESD 112 superintendent. “Her leadership, knowledge and experience will continue to serve ESD 112 and District 5 well.”

Under law, ESDs are governed by a board of directors consisting of seven citizens who are elected by the school board members in the region’s 30 public school districts. In the event of a vacancy on the board, the ESD Board must fill by appointment a person from the same board member district. Each appointed board member serves until his/her successor has been elected at the next election called by the secretary to the State Board of Education. The board members represent geographic director districts based on U.S. Census data. The ESD board is responsible for policy and governance of ESD 112 and for providing direction to the superintendent who is advised by local school district superintendents.