Erin Nadeau Courtesy photo
ARUNDEL – Erin Nadeau has been selected by the Arundel Board of Selectmen as Regional School Unit 21 director.
Nadeau, who has previously served on the board, was chosen after interviews with three candidates who had expressed interest in the vacancy. Town Clerk Emily Nedeau said the two others were Charles Bassett and Jonathan Rosen.
Under RSU 21 policy, Nadeau will serve through June 30, filling the vacancy created at the resignation late last year of Todd Shea, who was a successful write-in candidate for the three-year term in June 2021.
“I will run for the spot in the June election,” said Nadeau in an email of her intention to be a candidate for the remaining two years of the term.
Nadeau is director of client records at Sweetser and lives in Arundel with her husband and daughter, who is now in college after graduating from Kennebunk High School in 2018, and three cats. Nadeau recently completed her master’s degree in public health at the University of New England.
Nadeau served on the board from 2013 to 2016 and said she missed it when she stepped back to complete other pursuits.
“Having served on the board previously, I was able to experience the process from concept to completion of building renovations that were much needed in three of our towns,” she said. “The collective effort, compromise and collaboration it took was no small task, and our community should be proud of the work that they helped bring to fruition. When my term ended, watching from a distance as I completed my education was hard; when the opportunity arose both timewise and with the advent of a recent vacancy, I felt I could focus more on the work of the board in supporting the district’s mission.”
She reflected on events that have impacted the district.
“It is no secret that the past couple of years have presented some upheaval for everyone with the global pandemic we are currently trying to navigate, as well as recent contentious issues (the recall effort) making the news,” she wrote in an email. “They have galvanized individuals in the community, and created a disconnect between community members and teachers, between teachers and the board, and between the board and the community. And it’s important to both focus on the work that needs to be done, but also to take a moment to repair and nurture the connections that previously existed. We are all struggling through unprecedented times together, and I think it would help to remember that. Continuity and connection are important on so many levels in our district, especially in the middle of a pandemic – and we haven’t gotten much of either, because we’re all trying to juggle multiple priorities, and keep ourselves, and others, safe. So, it felt like a good time to step in and help build bridges.”
She said she has full confidence in the experience and competence of all the current board members and looks forward to together for the benefit of the district’s students.
On Tuesday evening, Jan. 11, the Kennebunk Select Board was to appoint an RSU 21 director until June 30 to fill a vacancy created at the resignation late last year of Amanda Oelschlegel. Candidates who expressed interest included Matthew Fadiman, Andrew Freda, Claudia Sayre, Gayle Spofford and Erin Rice, who later withdrew her name from consideration, according to select board documents.
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