Randy Schipper, Marc Eickholt elected to Ottawa Area ISD Board
OLIVE TWP. — Local school board members from West Ottawa and Grand Haven will serve six-year terms on the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District Board after being elected during a meeting Monday, June 5.
More: Five candidates are running for the OAISD board. Here's who, and how the election works.
Randy Schipper, an 18-year member of the West Ottawa Public Schools Board, was reelected for a second term. Marc Eickholt, elected to the Grand Haven Area Public Schools Board in November, will serve his first term on the OAISD Board.
“I’m very thankful for the support from our local school boards, and would like to express how much I appreciate receiving their votes of confidence. I’m looking forward to continuing my service to the OAISD students, families and staff,” Schipper wrote in a statement.
Eickholt, a former OAISD employee, said he’s looking forward to taking on the role of board member.
“With this sort of a homecoming, I'm looking forward to collaborating with my fellow board members, OAISD administration, and wonderful staff to further the mission and vision of this great community asset,” Eickholt wrote in a statement.
Eickholt replaces outgoing board member John Siemion, who didn't seek reelection after six years on the board. Siemion also served 22 years on the GHAPS Board.
Other candidates were Roger Williams, Vanessa Wilhelm and Eric Miller. Williams previously ran for the GHAPS Board last year as an Ottawa Impact candidate, but lost.
Miller, a resident of Zeeland Public Schools, would've been ineligible to serve. Only two residents of any one local district can serve on the board, and current board members Carol Slagh and Rick Dernberger are ZPS residents.
Candidates are elected by local boards of education. Each of the 11 traditional public school districts in the ISD passed a resolution to pick their candidates and sent a representative to cast votes on their behalf.
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Schipper received 10 votes, Eickholt received nine, Williams received two and Wilhelm received one. Coopersville, Grand Haven, Holland, Hudsonville, Jenison, Saugatuck, Spring Lake, West Ottawa and Zeeland voted for Schipper and Eickholt. Hamilton voted for Schipper and Williams and Allendale voted for Williams and Wilhelm.
Schipper and Eickholt will begin their terms July 1 and serve through June 30, 2029.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Randy Schipper, Marc Eickholt elected to Ottawa Area ISD Board
