Pleasant Valley Board reorganizes leadership; Ryan O’Keefe elected vice president

Matthew Walters was chosen as temporary president at the Pleasant Valley School District reorganization meeting on Dec. 4, 2025, after a single nomination and a voice vote to approve his temporary appointment.

The board then opened nominations for its permanent officers. After an initial indicative roll call produced a tie for the board president nominations, the board reopened nominations and held a second round of voting that resulted in Ryan O’Keefe’s election to the office of vice president by a 5–3 vote. The chair announced the vice-presidential tally before moving on to other reorganizational items.

Why this matters: leadership roles determine meeting order and committee appointments at the start of the calendar year. The board also confirmed appointments to interdistrict bodies and to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) liaison and voting delegates so the district will have representation at PSBA meetings and the ability to participate in association votes.

A board member who nominated John Gazzicki described the nominee’s qualities in support of the candidacy, saying, “He reflects the qualities our district needs and earned respect across the community.” The nominator’s remarks were part of the discussion that preceded the roll-call indication on the president’s slate.

What else the board did: members unanimously approved the slate of PSBA liaisons and voting delegates and completed the routine roll call and minutes approvals that are customary during reorganization. The chair also disclosed the board had met in a brief executive session before the public meeting to address personnel and legal matters.

Next steps: the board moved from reorganization into its regular meeting agenda and will carry the new leadership assignments into 2026.