Salem-Keizer School Board elects leaders for 2024-25 school year

The Salem-Keizer School Board chose new board leadership at its first meeting of the 2024-25 school year Tuesday.

Board members elected Cynthia Richardson as the new board chairperson.

Richardson has served on the school board since 2023 and represents Zone 2, which covers northeast Salem. She recently retired after 44 years in public schools, 25 of which she spent in Salem-Keizer. She worked as a high school principal, and spent six years as the district's director of Student Equity, Access and Advancement.

The board chose Karina Guzmán Ortiz as first vice chairperson and Lisa Harnisch as second vice chairperson.

Guzmán Ortiz has served on the school board since 2021 and represents Zone 5, which encompasses parts of southeast and east Salem. She was the board chairperson in 2023-24.

She is a partner engagement specialist for the Oregon Department of Education’s Early Learning Division.

Harnisch has served on the board since March 2024 and represents Zone 1, which encompasses parts of West Salem and south Salem. She was appointed to fill the vacancy created after Osvaldo Avila, resigned suddenly in February, citing family reasons.

Harnisch is executive director of Marion & Polk Early Learning Hub .

All three leadership positions can be held for up to two years.

The board also named two student advisors who will serve on the board in a non-voting, advisory capacity through June 2025.

They are McKay High School senior Kaiden Armstead and South Salem High School senior Sofia Castellanos.

Armstead was sworn in on Tuesday, while Castellanos will be sworn in at a later meeting.

Tracy Loew covers education at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem-Keizer School Board elects leaders for 2024-25 school year