After two members abruptly resigned within weeks of each other, the Milford School Board has appointed Michael Wilson to fill the final vacancy.
In late December, conservative school board member Melissa Nolan resigned while still serving her first term. The board was then tasked with replacing her.
After an open application process that saw 53 people apply, the board identified four finalists and selected Mary Anne Wills, who previously served on the Milford School Board from 1985-1999, to fill Nolan's seat.
On the day Wills was sworn in, another conservative member, Jerry Combs, also resigned, leaving yet another open seat.
During this stage, some residents objected to the process by which the board was selecting its new members. The existing members — President Emily Chesnut, Emily Mason, and Myra Powers — all ran as Democrats, leading some to claim they were only considering candidates who aligned with their political beliefs.
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Though critics agree Milford's appointment process is legal, some expressed disappointment that the board didn't ask for more community input before selecting candidates.
Despite some pushback, the board moved forward with the same selection process it used to appoint Wills and chose from the same pool of candidates who had already applied for the first seat.
After some discussion in executive session Wednesday, board members selected Wilson, who was one of the original four finalists for Nolan's seat. He says he's ready for the challenge.
"You'll get to know me more, but I'm methodical, I'm dedicated at a local level, and I'm a natural collaborator," Wilson said after being sworn in.
Milford's next regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 15.
