Oshkosh school board president, Winnebago County board member Bob Poeschl resigns, citing conflict of interest
OSHKOSH – Oshkosh Area School District Board president and Winnebago County board member Bob Poeschl resigned from both positions Wednesday, citing a conflict of interest with a new job.
Poeschl, who also previously served three terms on the Oshkosh city council, announced he would be leaving on Facebook after he recently accepted a job with Disability Rights Wisconsin.
Poeschl said the organization uses advocacy tools that can lead to potential litigation against municipalities or school districts on behalf of people with disabilities. Because of that, he felt it would be a conflict of interest if he stayed in either post.
"If I stayed in my position as elected leader, it could cloud my ability as elected leader and also my ability as an employee," he said.
Poeschl was first elected to the school board in 2017 and was one of 10 newcomers elected to the county board in this April's election.
He said he will miss engaging with a wide variety of people on key issues in the community, but feels he will still be doing that as a private citizen. He has not ruled out returning to elected office in the future.
Liz Szilagyi, a current school board member, said she enjoyed "serving with and learning from Bob," and wished him luck in his new career.
Bryan Davis, OASD superintendent, also thanked Poeschl for his service to the schools.
“We are grateful for his dedication and time spent supporting and guiding the district,” Davis said.
With the president of the school board stepping down, Vice President Barbara Herzog will serve as president, and there will likely be a reorganization of the board's leadership.
The board's policy and state rules say the board will post applications for the vacant spot and that it must be filled within 60 days. After interviewing and vetting applicants, the board would then vote to approve the new president. That person would serve out Poeschl's term, which ends April 2023.
The district said additional information, including the application process and timeline, will be shared during its next meeting, which is Oct. 12.
For his Winnebago County board seat, the county clerk posts the vacancy and invites people to apply. The chairman of the board, Thomas Egan, would then appoint his replacement.
Contact Bremen Keasey at 920-570-5614 or bkeasey@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Keasinho.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh school board president, county board member resigns
