SJSD School Board selects candidate to fill vacant seat 

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The St. Joseph School District Board of Education selected Tom Richmond to fill an empty seat on the board during a special meeting Wednesday night. 

Board members evaluated seven candidates to fill the position left by Rick Gehring, after he resigned last month. 

"It's an incredible honor," Richmond said. "I'm in this to serve and to help things be better. The most important thing in our community is the school district and what we do for our children."

The candidates included: Dr. William (Bill) Couldry, Tom Richmond, Cassandra Veale, Jacob McMillian, Katherine Seufert, James Young and Kenneth Reeder.

School board members made the final decision by using a scoring rubric that judged each candidate's answer to all 10 questions they were asked during their evaluation.

"There were good candidates here tonight," Richmond said. "I was able to hear several of them, and I'm honored to be the one that was chosen."

During his evaluation, Richmond told school board members that one of the biggest strengths of the school district is the positive experience kids have going to school.

"I think that our teachers do a tremendous job, and staff as well," he said. "And then interacting with the students and making them feel important and successful. (With) my own personal children, that's been the case."

Richmond retired from Altec three years ago and has spent years in the St. Joseph community.

"I think there's a general feeling in our community that we want the best for our kids, and we want the best for our schools, and I think we need to highlight that and figure out how we pull together and make that happen," he said.

The meeting took place at SJSD's Administration building, formerly known as Noyes Elementary, located at 1415 N. 26th St.