Karen Collins Adams elected board president as SLPS holds officer elections

The newly constituted Board of Education for Saint Louis Public Schools held officer elections and selected Dr. Karen Collins Adams as president, Emily Hubbard as vice president and Brian Marston as secretary.

Nominations opened after a welcome from the superintendent and a swearing-in ceremony for new board members. Board member Donna Jones was nominated for president but declined the nomination. Board member AJ Foster nominated Dr. Karen Collins Adams for president; Collins Adams accepted the nomination and answered members’ questions about training and potential conflicts of interest related to her husband’s past district employment. Collins Adams told the board she would recuse herself from matters that presented a conflict.

During roll call for president, several members voted in favor and several abstained; the chair announced, "Doctor Karen Collins Adams carries the vote and is elected as president of the board of education at Saint Louis Public Schools for the next year." The board then proceeded to the vice president election. Emily Hubbard accepted her nomination and won the roll-call vote; some members abstained. Later the board elected Brian Marston as secretary following nomination and roll-call vote.

Board members asked nominees to confirm compliance with required board training; Collins Adams said she was aware of MSBA training requirements and planned to complete training. When members raised possible audit-related issues from a previous superintendent’s tenure, Collins Adams said she would recuse herself from matters that posed a conflict and would not place the district at risk.

The board then approved the meeting agenda and took several procedural votes before moving to committee reports and presentations.