By Nancy Bowman

Joellen Heatherly was appointed Monday, Oct. 16, as the interim member of the Tipp City Exempted Village Schools Board of Education. She previously served as a board member from 2018-2021. Heatherly was appointed by Miami County Probate Court Judge Scott Altenburger. She will be sworn in at the board’s next meeting, the judge said. That meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 23.

The appointment followed the resignation Sept. 5 of board member Simon Patry, who cited personal and business obligations as requiring his time. The remaining board members were unable to appoint an interim member during the 30-day period to fill a board vacancy. By law, the task then went to the Probate Court, where applications from those interested in serving the interim term were requested.

Heatherly served on the board from 2018-2021 when she chose not to seek re-election. "I believe that I am uniquely positioned to quickly acclimate and step into the vacancy created by Mr. Patry. I hope to provide the district the stability the board needs immediately to re-focus attention on issues facing the district through 2023," she said Monday afternoon.

The court received applications and letters of recommendation from many qualified individuals, Altenburger wrote in his court entry. “The Tipp City community is fortunate to have so many individuals willing to serve and support its schools,” he said. He considered leaving the position vacant until the Nov. 7 election and then appointing the top vote recipient, Altenburger said. However, the court concluded that “the statutory intent, as well as the residents of Tipp City would be better served by the prompt appointment,” he said. “A full and functioning board needs to be able to respond to any emergency situation.”