Four individuals have applied for three positions that will be open January 1 on MREA’s Board of Directors. Only three of MREA’s four membership zones will have a vacancy.
These candidates will be introduced at MREA’s 2022 Annual Member Meeting on November 30:
Vacancies and Candidates
NORTH ZONE (1 vacancy)
At-Large (4-Year Term 2023-2026)
- Jim Ferden, School Board, Win-E-Mac School District
I am a product of rural Minnesota and rural Minnesota educational systems, and I am definitely rural proud as I continue to live and work in rural Minnesota!! For the past 37 years, I have worked for the FDIC as a bank examiner. I have served on my local school board for 14 years and the Region 1 Joint Powers Board for 10 years. I continue to serve on the Board of Garden Valley Technologies, a local telephone/broadband cooperative (9 years) and am finishing my fourth year on the MREA Board. Serving in leadership roles on the MREA Executive Committee the past three years, I have gained a much better understanding of the unique challenges that face rural Minnesota schools in providing quality programs to our students. It has truly been a privilege to serve MREA members and work together to help our member schools. I would like to continue working with the MREA Board and team to be a strong advocate for rural Minnesota schools and would appreciate your vote for re-election to the At-Large position.
- Chris Mills, Superintendent, Stephen-Argyle Central School District
I have served as Superintendent of Schools for Stephen-Argyle Central for the past 23 years. In addition, I served in various Board positions on the Legislative Action Committee and the Board for MREA from 2002-2018. My experience with rural schools and communities, working with the state legislator, and experience developing legislative platforms supports my qualifications to serve as the At-Large representative for the North Zone of the MREA Board. Advocacy is the #1 priority of MREA and I believe that I have the background and experience to serve our schools and communities well now and in the future.
NORTH CENTRAL ZONE (1 vacancy)
Teacher (4-Year Term 2023-2026)
- Michelle Rinke Koch, Dean of Students, Menahga School District
I would be deeply honored to continue serving Greater Minnesota Schools as a member of the MREA Board of Directors. I have spent my entire life living in Greater Minnesota and believe our rural areas have many unique gifts as well as challenges. MREA brings together school boards, administration, educators, and community members with the goal of improving our students’ educational opportunities in rural Minnesota. I have served four years on the Board, including two on the Executive Committee (currently Secretary-Treasurer), and I look forward to offering my experiences, passion, and rural foundation to keep building 21st Century opportunities for our greatest resource — our children. Thank you for your time and consideration.
SOUTH CENTRAL ZONE (1 vacancy)
School Board (4-Year Term 2023-2026)
- Becky Paluch, School Board, Ivanhoe School District
I am interested in serving as the School Board Representative for MREA’s South Central membership zone. As a child, I attended Lincoln HI High School in Ivanhoe (pop. 550) and Hendricks. My husband and I both attended K-12 in the same school, and our children are the third generation in both our families to attend this school. I serve as the Lincoln Elementary Board chairwoman and will be starting my fourth term. We have worked hard to maintain an appropriate budget and are ranked in the top three percent in the state for elementary education. Rural communities face different adversities while continuing to thrive due to high community involvement and support, and our educators make a significant contribution to our youth. Being an active member of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and a substitute teacher at Lincoln Elementary, I am privileged to see firsthand the positive impact the rural life has on our children. Advocating for rural communities is more than a passion for me — our rural communities need to have representation so our children have a high-quality education and our educators and all staff are given the same opportunities larger schools are privileged to have. Thank you for the consideration.
SOUTH ZONE (No vacancy)
The South Zone has no director vacancy for 2023.
New Online Voting
The voting process for MREA members to elect new directors is moving online, and details will be shared soon on how voting-eligible members can access digital ballots. Administrator, school board, and teacher groups in full-member districts will each have one ballot to cast a vote for each open position in their respective zones — a total of three votes per open position. Other voting-eligible members will receive specific voting instructions as well. Voting must be completed online by December 31.
