BENTONVILLE — The School Board is seeking a new member to fill its Zone 5 seat.
Travis Riggs, who had served on the board for 12 years and had been board president for the past year, submitted his resignation letter last week.
“The time has come to move on,” Riggs wrote to Willie Cowgur, board vice president, in a brief letter dated Thursday.
Riggs made the public aware of his intention to resign months ago. He originally was going to step
At A Glance
How To Apply
Anyone interested in the School Board’s Zone 5 position should first call the Benton County Clerk’s Office at 479-271-1013 to verify they live in that zone. Then they should submit a letter of interest and a resume to Michael Poore, Bentonville Public Schools, 500 Tiger Blvd., Bentonville, AR 72712. Applications also may be dropped off in person at the district’s main office or emailed to [email protected]. The application deadline is Monday.
Source: Staff Report
down in February, but decided to stay a little longer.
His replacement must come from Zone 5, a small portion of the School District’s east side. The seat’s term expires in September 2014. If the successful applicant wishes to retain the seat, that person will need to run for election next year.
Applications are due Monday to Superintendent Michael Poore’s office. The board likely will meet next week to interview candidates.
Shane Red, a strategic account executive for Waste Management, is among those interested in the seat. Red said he intends to apply. He grew up in Centerton and graduated from Bentonville High School.
Scott Comiskey, another Zone 5 resident, said Monday he’s thinking about applying.
“I’m contemplating it, but I haven’t made a final decision,” Comiskey said.
Comiskey was a Bentonville alderman from 1997 to 2008 and a member of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Board of Directors from 2002 to 2012. He said if chosen for the board, he wouldn’t run for election next year.
“I’ve done the elected office thing,” he said.
Riggs was the board’s longest-serving member at the time of his resignation. Cowgur, who was elected to the board in 2011, now holds that distinction.
The board has until Oct. 19 — 30 days from the time Riggs submitted his resignation — to appoint a replacement. If the board fails to choose someone within 30 days, the Benton County Quorum Court would get to make the choice.