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WHEELING -- The Ohio County Board of Education will see two new faces among its members when a new term begins July 1.
There are two seats up for election in the delayed June 9 election. Former board member Zach Abraham has resigned his seat to seek a spot on the Ohio County Commission, and member Sarah Koegler has chosen not to seek re-election.
Six candidates are in the running for the two seats: Pete Chacalos and Karen Shuler Stakem, representing magisterial district 2, and Charles Hercules, H. Scott Mumper, John Gearry and Grace Norton from district 1.
* Chacalos is retired after teaching 34 years at Wheeling Park High School. He also served as athletic trainer at the school for 28 years.
A WPHS graduate, Chacalos has a bachelor's degree from West Virginia University and a masters from Ohio University.
He supports having more technology in the schools, and calls for the state to invest more in its teachers.
He opposes policies that take money from public schools, including those establishing charter schools, vouchers, education savings accounts and tuition tax credits.
* Hercules has called for more partnering by Ohio County Schools with professional groups.
He said there were opportunities locally where students can gain experience in the medical trades, law enforcement and at local fire departments.
Hercules said local businesses also could be tapped to provide educational and training opportunities to students.
* Gearry is a past council member and mayor of Valley Grove. He works as a member of Local 2 of the Mechanical Insulators union. He is a WPHS graduate, and has three children that attend Ohio County Schools.
He believes all students should be set up for success. This includes focusing on the key components of the school system, which include students, parents, educators, service personnel, administrators, board members, coaches, mentors, volunteers, business leaders, community organizations, apprenticeships, local colleges and employers, according to Gearry.
* Mumper is a retired special agent and Air Force veteran with 27 years experience in federal service.
He also has served as an adjunct instructor for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center where he taught advanced law enforcement techniques.
He is a Clearview resident, and a WPHS graduate.
During a recent candidate forum, Mumper called for more cooperation between the school district and local trades to assist students.
* Norton, a retired educator, has nearly 40 years experience teaching youths.
While primarily a teacher, she also worked as a counselor, a planning coordinator, and a committee chairman, and also has experience teaching at the college level.
She was an educator at both West Liberty University and West Virginia Northern Community College for 27 years.
Norton has called for improving the overall academic performance level in Ohio County Schools. Issues such as accountability and redistricting also need to be addressed, she said.
* Stakem is a mother of three who began her career working for Congress in Washington, D.C.
Since then she has served as a public relations consultant for numerous non-profit and for-profit clients in both the public and private sector. She has led public affairs campaigns, executed large scale events, conducted media outreach and spearheaded fundraising and grant writing efforts for her clients.
A graduate of Wheeling Park High School, she received her bachelor of science in political science and a master's degree in public administration from West Virginia University.
Members of the five-member board of education not up for re-election this year include Christine Carder, David Croft and Molly Aderholt.