Two people have volunteered to fill the vacant seat on the Chimacum School Board.

The two candidates are Kathryn Lamka and Wilma L. Hackman.

A vacancy on the Chimacum Board of Directors arose following the resignation of Jack McKay.

McKay stepped down in late July from the District 5 position.

The Chimacum School Board expects to appoint a new member to fill the unexpired term of the position later this month. The position will expire in 2021 and be open for election, according to the district.

Initially, just one applicant filed for the seat. The school district pushed back the deadline for applications by a week, and a second was received.

Lamka, 74, earned a bachelor of arts in German Education from Michigan State University and a master’s in secondary education, also from MSU.

She was a secondary German teacher for South Redford Schools in Michigan, and also worked as a systems engineer for IBM becoming a partner in Meetingworks, a software/consulting company. 

Lamka lives in Port Ludlow.

“I want to help the district meet some large challenges over the next few months,” Lamka wrote in her application.

“There’s a lot on the plate — from the ‘new normal’ of opening during a pandemic, to passing a levy, to ensuring a smooth administrative transition,” she added. “I want to help the district regain the momentum that we lost when the schools closed and make sure that all students receive as much high-quality safe and healthy instruction as possible.”

Lamka has been a volunteer at Chimacum Elementary School for the past nine years, and was also a helper in a third-grade class.

“I have seen first-hand how hard the teachers work; a supportive and visionary board can make a huge difference in how much can be accomplished,” Lamka wrote in her application.

“I believe that the key to success here is collaboration and good communication, not only at the board and administrative level, but also with the staff and community. My hope is to contribute to a healthy board that represents and serves a thriving community,” she added.

Lamka’s other community involvement includes serving as president of the Olympus Beach Tracts Water Board, as a board member for the Jefferson Land Trust, and as president of Jefferson Solar Group.

Hackman, 75, has a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the University of Washington. She also earned a master’s in teaching from the University of Puget Sound. 

She lives in Port Hadlock.

“The district is facing the huge task of restructuring to maintain the best possible education for our students during the pandemic, at the same time as filling the position of superintendent,” Lamka said in her application.

“Three years ago, I came in second when I ran for Position 5. Since then, I’ve been engaged in other issues and became somewhat ‘out of the loop,’” she added. “But now that the position is open again, I believe that the board needs its full team to deal with the challenge. I’m available to help.”

Hackman said she has become more active politically since she retired, “concerned with issues including environmental protection, social justice, and corporate power,” she wrote in her application letter.

Hackman served two terms as a Democratic Party Precinct Committee Officer, and was also a member of the 2018 Washington State Democratic Party Platform Committee.

Her work in the local community has been devoted to environmental groups, volunteering in environmental education efforts and organizing events, including salmon festivals, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s Low Tide Fest, the Dungeness River Festival, Audubon Nature Day Camp, and the Phil Johnson Environmental Scholarship Auction.

The school board will be holding interviews and appointing a new member at an upcoming meeting Wednesday, Sept. 23. The meeting starts at 5 p.m.