At a special Board of Directors meeting Saturday, May 2, the Mercer Island School Board selected and appointed Ralph Jorgenson from a field of four applicants. He will complete the 2015 term for Board Position No. 5, which will be vacated by Janet Frohmayer on May 14.

Jorgenson and his wife have two daughters, in grades 7 and 10, who have been students in the District since kindergarten. Jorgenson graduated from Mercer Island High School in 1983.

He co-chaired the 2014 Bond and Levy Campaign, working collaboratively with school advocates, reaching out to community leaders and engaging many Island groups. He also led the PTA Advocacy Team.

“We have and continue to advocate in Olympia for school funding, developed advocacy statements, as well as advocate for City Council support on certain issues that relate to education on Mercer Island,” he wrote.

Jorgenson said some of his goals are: continuing the pursuit of educational excellence, emphasizing the whole student, planning, preparing and opening four new elementary school communities, working on school funding and continuing to engender the public trust.

The other applicants for Board Position No. 5 included: Tracy Drinkwater, David D’Souza and Bill Hochberg. The four-member board, acting as a committee of the whole, elected Jorgenson in the sixth round of voting at the special meeting.

Board Member-Elect Jorgenson will be sworn in at the May 14 meeting in the Council Chambers at Mercer Island City Hall.