The Blair Oaks R-2 school district's Board of Education recently swore in two new members who said they don't have specific personal goals to accomplish while serving on the board but are looking forward to helping guide the district through a significant time in its history.
Blair Oaks is in the process of determining how to build a new high school, which would add a fourth building across the street from the current middle school at the district's campus in Wardsville.
Mark Brandt and Jason Paulsmeyer were sworn onto the board last Tuesday. The men filled vacancies left by the departures of incumbent members Bill Duke and Kevin Ward, who were unopposed in the April election but later moved out of the district.
Brandt and Paulsmeyer said they look forward to being part of the decisions to be made about a new high school.
"There's a component of contribution. I think we all have a responsibility to contribute back to the community in whatever capacity we can," Brandt said of motivation for him to serve on the board.
He and his wife, Susan, have three children - two of whom attend Blair Oaks High School - and they've lived in the district since 1999, according to a news release from Blair Oaks Superintendent Jim Jones.
Brandt has worked for Ameren Missouri for 18 years and is the technical services supervisor for the Missouri Gas Operations. He previously served on the St. Stanislaus School Board as a member and president and on the Jefferson City YMCA Board of Directors.
Paulsmeyer said he's "motivated to serve on the board first and foremost by having two kids in the school district."
"Beyond that, I just desire to serve the Blair Oaks community and hopefully be able to offer positive impacts and viewpoints," he added.
He and his wife, Kristen, have two children - a first-grader and a sixth-grader in the district. Their family has lived in the district since 2011.
Paulsmeyer is a native of Chamois and is the chief counsel for the Missouri Local Goverment Employees Retirement System. He also represents Cole County as a member of the Missouri Bar Board of Governors and serves as the Benefits Section Steering Committee chairperson for the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys.
He is involved with groups and activities including the Wardsville Lions Club, Jefferson City's First United Methodist Church, and volunteering in various roles at Blair Oaks and coaching youth sports teams including T-ball, softball, soccer, volleyball and basketball.