Leechburg Area School Board retains president and vice president, welcomes newly elected members

Leechburg Area School Board’s top leaders will retain their positions next year, and the newly elected members were sworn in Wednesday night.

Neill Brady and Anthony Shea were unanimously retained as president and vice president, respectively.

Brady has been on the board for about 18 years. He enters his fourth year as president.

Shea has been on the board for 10 years. This will be his fourth year as vice president.

“We have a great board and I look forward to the new folks and working with them,” Shea said.

Shea nominated Brady for board president.

“We’ve been on for a long time,” Brady said. “We get along well. The whole school board gets along. It’s a good mesh of people and a good mesh of various educations.”

Incumbents Darius Lovelace and Candi Stewart and newcomers Tom Maxin and Ashley Coudriet were sworn in for four-year terms, and Matthew Jagodrinski for a two-year term. Lovelace and Stewart are beginning their second term.

“It’s an honor,” Maxin said. “This is such a tremendous responsibility, being a board member. After 35 years of teaching, I understand that.”

Maxin said he taught biology, and earth and space science in the Montour School District.

Lovelace, Stewart and Maxin were on the November ballot. Coudriet and Jagodrinski won as write-ins.

Coudriet is a former educator with more than 20 years of experience in public schools.

Stewart is a retired Leechburg Area teacher with more than 30 years experience. Lovelace is also a retired teacher.

Jagodrinski is a managing director at Jackson Lucas with experience recruiting top real estate executives.