Ron Deschenes has been named as Westford’s new member of the Nashoba Valley Technical High School Committee by an 8 to 2 combined vote of the Selectmen and Westford School Committee, led by Town Moderator Ellen Harde.
The spot became vacant after the recent passing of Raymond Riddick Jr., who served as a full member of the board along with Mark Desrochers.
Desrochers and Nashoba Tech Superintendent Judith Klimkiewicz endorsed Deschenes, who currently serves as an alternate on the committee.
“Although an ‘alternate’, Ron is more dedicated to, and more passionate about Nashoba Tech than most full-time school committee members,” said Desrochers in a submitted statement. “He never misses a meeting, he is at many school events, he volunteers at the school, he challenges the board and the administration when needed and offers unwavering support when appropriate.”
Desrochers received votes from Selectmen Scott Hazelton, Kelly Ross, Mark Kost and School Committee Members Terence Ryan, Erika Kohl, Arthur Benoit, Avery Adam and Chris Sanders.
Emanuel Manolopoulos received votes from Selectman Don Siriani and School Committee Member Tom Clay.
Deschenes spot as an alternate then went to Manolopoulos by an 8-2 vote, with votes from Siriani, Ross, Kost, Adam, Sanders, Clay, Ryan and Kohl.
In his presentation to the boards, Manolopoulos touted his 34-year background as a school administrator in Lowell, his current post-retirement job as a guidance counselor in Nashua and his experience teaching vocational programs at Fitchburg State along with his 38-year residence in Westford.
Benoit and Hazelton cast their support in the alternate position vote for Kenneth Rolt of Phillips Drive.
Rolt, a former member of the Machine Tool Committee at Nashoba Tech, started taking evening programs in 1996 took nine classes since then along with four college degrees since 1984.
Prior to the votes, Rolt voiced his concerns over the endorsement of Klimkiewicz, citing the school’s decision to remove him and other non-faculty members from the Machine Tool Committee.
He called this decision “abusive” and “probably illegal,” which Harde called out of order.
Warren Adam and Matthew Edison also submitted applications for the position, but did not receive a nomination from a member of the Selectmen or School Committee.
Currently, the next meeting of the Nashoba Tech School Committee is scheduled for August 11.
A full video of the meeting will be available online at westfordcat.org.
