(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
At a meeting Monday night, the Green Bay Area Public School Board chose Samantha Meister to fill the seat left open by Kou Lee. Lee resigned amid allegations he did not live in the district. I'm your Green Bay area neighborhood reporter Pari Apostolakos and I sat down with Meister exclusively ahead of her first official day on the job to see why she wanted to serve on the board in the first place.
Watch the exclusive NBC 26 interview with Meister below:
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay associate professor of education Samantha Meister says she will be sworn in for her duties as a public servant on Wednesday.
"How are you feeling today?" I asked Meister at the NBC 26 news station Tuesday afternoon.
"Very excited, a little overwhelmed," Meister said. "Just, my phone has been kind of going crazy but I'm really, really excited."
Once a special education teacher in Omaha, Nebraska, she says she moved to Green Bay about five years ago for the job at UW-GB. Her university bio says she has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in urban and teacher education.
"Why did you throw your hat in the ring? Why apply?" I asked.
"Well, right now this is a really good time both personally and professionally to kind of step into an additional role of service within the community," Meister said. "Especially with the immense amount of work that is on the table right now for the district."
Some of the work Meister says she looks forward to tackling is the district's budget and the search for a new superintendent.
"What are some of those qualities that maybe you'd be looking for for a potential candidate for that position?" I asked.
"I think ultimately somebody who is a leader from a place of kindness and a place of being focused on growth and possibility," Meister said.
It's no secret Meister is chosen for this role after a former board member's controversial exit. To those who may have lost trust in the district, Meister has this to say:
"I would just continue and encourage people to reach out, ask questions, be present and take an active stake in your community and your schools," she said.
Meister is set to serve on the board until April next year. She says she has not decided whether she will run in the election to keep her seat, but she is open to the idea.
