Paul Scarpelli has been appointed to fill the vacant position on the Vancouver Public Schools board of directors. The appointment follows school board interviews with 11 candidates on Aug. 20. The board of directors voted unanimously in selecting Scarpelli to fill the vacant seat left by board director Michelle Giovannozzi, who resigned at the end of July.
The appointment is temporary, until the winner of the November general election is sworn in. District policy 1114 states: “In the case of a board vacancy, the remaining board members will fill such vacancy by appointment. … to serve until the next regularly scheduled board election, at which time a director will be elected for the unexpired term, if any.” Scarpelli is not a candidate for a board position in the general election.
“I’m looking forward to serving on the Vancouver board of directors in this capacity,” said Scarpelli. “As a lifelong resident of Vancouver and a graduate of Fort Vancouver High School, I’m passionate about education and dedicated to the school district and this community. I am grateful to the members of the board for choosing me from the many fine candidates who applied to fill this important role over the next few months.”
Scarpelli has been finance manager for Clark County. His experience covers management of large organizations, global manufacturing and contributing to the community through service on various boards. Scarpelli has a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Washington and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Portland.
“We want to thank all of the people who interviewed for this appointment. It’s impressive to see the level of professionalism and commitment of these individuals,” said Board President Mark Stoker. “It was a difficult decision, but we are pleased to be moving forward with the appointment of Mr. Scarpelli so we can continue to serve the interests of our students, families, employees and community members.”
Scarpelli will be sworn in at the Sept. 10 board meeting.