By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle
The Lincoln County School District board is back to five members after appointing Yakona Nature Preserve executive director Natalie Schaeffer on Tuesday to fill the vacancy left by the board’s longest serving member.
Liz Martin of Depoe Bay resigned last month after 15 years of service. Two candidates — Jane Mulholland of Lincoln City and Natalie Schaeffer of Depoe Bay — applied for the position that represents Zone 2.
Mulholland is an avid volunteer who worked as a teacher, principal and superintendent for various Deaf and Blind schools in Oregon. Schaeffer is the executive director of Yakona Nature Preserve in Newport and has teaching experience from fourth grade to college.
During her interview, Schaeffer shared that she was a first-generation college student and came from a low-income household that would allow her to understand some of the district’s most vulnerable students. She had teaching experience at different grade levels as well as the college level and held a doctorate, master’s degree and bachelor’s degree. Through her work at Yakona, she built partnerships with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, ARC of Lincoln County and Arcoíris Cultural to bring outdoor learning to marginalized groups.
“I want to ensure all students are provided the best and highest quality education they deserve, to become whatever and whomever they choose to be. I want schools to be a safe place to learn. I want to see Career Technical education prioritized equally with college bound education,” Schaeffer wrote on her application. “These are my values and much of what I advocate for is right here in Lincoln County School Districts.”
Board member Mitch Parsons said he felt the choice was a “coin flip” at the Tuesday evening work session. Board member Jason Malloy felt that Scaffer’s passion for career and technical education and programs pushed her above Mulholland.
“I liked what Natalie said about navigating differences of opinion,” said board chair Peter Vince. “She’s going to listen, and I got a strong sense that Natalie’s not going to be shy about sharing her opinion and I appreciate that.
“She also said something about approaching the position with humility over the first 90 days and learning about it,” Vince said. “That’s been my experience on board this night going into my fifth year, and there’s still time that I’m learning, and I think that’s a healthy approach.”
During the regular session, the board voted 4-0 to appoint Schaeffer to the position and swore her in. The board selected Malloy as its vice chair, a position previously held by Martin.
- Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, education, Newport, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Shayla@LincolnChronicle.org
