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Okemos Board president Mary Jabara resigns; board sets accelerated timeline to fill vacancy
Summary
Board President Mary Jabara submitted a written resignation effective Dec. 9, 2024, to accept a role with Michigan State University’s Prevent to Protect project. Trustees praised her six years of service and the board set a public application process with interviews in December and an appointment planned for Jan. 6, 2025.
Board President Mary Jabara read a written resignation at the Okemos Board of Education meeting on Dec. 5, saying she will leave the board effective Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, after accepting a position with Michigan State University on a pilot project called Prevent to Protect.
"This program is the first of its kind in the nation," Jabara said in the letter she read aloud to the board, describing the role as "an adolescent targeted violence prevention project" and saying that removing any conflict of interest is "paramount to the success" of the work. In her statement she recounted initiatives during her six-year tenure, including guiding the district through the pandemic, adopting a new mascot, advancing equity work and passing a $275,000,000 bond.
Trustees and the superintendent offered thanks and tribute after Jabara’s announcement. Superintendent Hood said Jabara provided consistent counsel and helped shape agendas and priorities through regular conversations with district leadership. Multiple trustees described Jabara as a mentor who kept discussions student-focused and modelled consistent, intentional leadership.
The board’s executive committee laid out the next steps immediately after the resignation. The district will post the vacancy and accept applications (resume and cover letter) with a deadline of noon on Tuesday, Dec. 17. The executive committee plans a short-list meeting on Dec. 19 to select finalists and a special board meeting on Jan. 6, 2025, to swear in new trustees and appoint a replacement, meeting statutory timing constraints ahead of the Jan. 9 deadline. The recruitment materials and application instructions will be posted on the district website and shared through district communications.
The vacancy process described by trustees follows the board’s newly adopted operating procedures and will include public notice and interviews; each candidate will have 30 minutes for their interview. Trustees said they will aim to select three finalists for interviews and encourage community members to apply.
The board adjourned later that evening at 8:38 p.m.
