Lori Fast is stepping down from the Centralia School Board as the first semester is nearing its end

Centralia School Board president Lori Fast announced her resignation on Wednesday, citing plans to leave the district just months before the end of her first semester.

Her resignation took effect immediately after the meeting.

“It has been a privilege and a pleasure to serve the Centralia School District for the past four years. It would have been a pleasure for me to continue serving the district and our ward; However, I will be moving to Vancouver, Washington after our next meeting, ”she wrote in her resignation letter to Superintendent Lisa Grant.

“I hope that you and the board of directors will find a suitable replacement who will contribute to the further work of the district. I am proud of the work we have done together over the past few years. I also believe that with continued focus and commitment, you and the Board of Directors will together make significant strides in improving the Centralia School District, ”she continued in her June 30 letter.

Fast was elected to the school board in 2017 and has been an active member of the Centralia congregation for more than a decade. The board of directors should now appoint a substitute for the remainder of the term of office, which expires at the end of the year.

Former Centralia Mayor Tim Browning, who beat Fast in a 2017 open seat race, ran for the seat unopposed in November.

It could also be considered that he will serve the remainder of Fast’s tenure.

“We would like to take a moment and thank Lori for her many years of service on the board. It is an elected office, but it takes a lot of time, a lot of effort, and not many awards, and we are so grateful from the entire district for your support of our work as a district. ”Grant said during the meeting. “I know that in my first year here, I really appreciate this support and our weekly meetings and ongoing work, and that the board is really helping to set the direction for our district.”

The district has already begun soliciting public applications to serve on the board of directors for the remainder of Fast’s tenure.

Interested applicants must be a registered voter living within the boundaries of the school district. To apply, applicants must submit a letter of interest and résumé to Superintendent Brittany Kindell’s Assistant to the Management by Monday, August 9th.

Board members are expected to attend both the monthly study sessions and the regular business meetings on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. According to the district, directors may also be required to serve on education-related committees and attend school events throughout the year.

The position is not paid.

Fast has been on the board since 2018. In her role on the school board, she was on the district website, according to her biography.

She was hired by the Centralia Community Church of God as pastor for worship and spiritual development and as curator ad litem for the Lewis County juvenile courts. She also has three children.