Milan Area Schools has seen a change on the Board of Education with one school board member stepping down and a new one coming in.

At the Nov. 13 meeting, Betty Rosen-Leacher announced because of personal reasons she was resigning from her role on the school board. Rosen-Leacher resigned because she and her husband (who recently retired) are moving out of the district to live closer to their adult daughters.

Rosen-Leacher had previously served as a Vice President on the Milan Area Schools (MAS) Board of Education, and retired as a principal in 2020 from Saline Area Schools.

With her resignation, the school district put in motion the process to find her replacement.

MAS Superintendent Bryan Girbach said the selection process was announced on Nov. 13, through an email sent out to the community and an announcement placed on the district’s website. The applicants turned in written applications and were interviewed during the Dec. 11 board meeting. The interviews and the entire selection process were all completed in open session in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.

Five people applied for the role. They were Gabriel Burdette, Angela Chidester, George Elder, Sarah Norton and Gary Taepke.

After a vote of the board, Burdette was selected as the new member. His term expires in 2026.

Burdette comes to the board with some pertinent experience and knowledge. He’s the Manager of Finance at Trinity Health’s Ann Arbor hospital, a JV football coach at Ann Arbor Pioneer and a parent of a high school aged daughter.

In answering the interview question as to why he sought the role on the board, he said he was primarily motivated by three things: the Sinking Fund, Safety and Teachers.

With the school district looking to put into motion the recently voter-approved sinking fund, Burdette said he brings with him on-the-job experience and knowledge to help take on such a process. He likened the capital improvement process at the hospital as being similar and said one of the main things that needs to be emphasized is community input and involvement, especially when it comes to the planning and prioritization of projects.

In looking to safety, he said the recent election, locally and nationally, has him thinking even more about safety, especially when it comes to his daughter and her well-being. However, he said it’s not only her, but all students. He said student safety and well-being is a top priority for the district.

His third reason in seeking this role is teachers. Burdette said retaining good teachers is important and vital for a school district. He said a big help in doing this is paying them what they deserve.

Photo: A look at the Milan Board of Education meeting on Dec. 11. Photo courtesy of MAS