Kim Newport and Linda Mitchell take the reins.
By John Tredrea
Kim Newport of Hopewell Township was unanimously elected president of the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education at its annual reorganization meeting Monday night.
Ms. Newport replaces Bill Hills, also of the township, who did not seek a third term in the April 19 election.
Unanimously elected board vice president was Linda Mitchell, also of the township. She replaces Ms. Newport as vice president. There were no other nominations for president or vice president.
Five school board members took oaths of office during the reorganization meeting.
Incumbents Edward Gainsborg, Carl Swanson and Judy Karp, all of the township, were sworn in for three-year terms.
Newcomer William Guthrie, also of the township, took the oath for a one-year term. He has taken the seat previously held by Ms. Karp, who was picked last year to replace Lisa Marin Main, who resigned.
Melvin Myers of Hopewell Borough took the oath for a two-year term. Mr. Myers holds Hopewell Borough’s only seat.
The regional board has nine seats seven from the township and one each from Pennington and Hopewell boroughs. The Pennington seat, held by Kevin Doran, was not open this election year.
As expected Monday night, the board voted unanimously to appoint Pat Coats as the permanent principal of Timberlane Middle School and Anthony Suozzo as vice principal. They have been filling those positions on an interim basis for a number of months.
Their permanent appointments came at the recommendation of Acting Superintendent Judy Ferguson.
The board also agreed to reinstitute its practice, discarded several years ago, of holding an agenda meeting once a month. The agenda meeting will be held on the second Monday of each month, except in July, August and December. The regular action meeting will continue to be held on the third Monday of each month.

