Mark D. Emerson has been selected to fill the vacancy on the Bainbridge Island School Board left by the recent resignation of Sheila Jakubik.
Emerson will serve in the District 5 position on the board, and will be sworn in at the May 30 school board meeting. He will serve out the remainder of Jakubik’s term through November 2019, and has also filed as a candidate in the November election for the District 5 position.
“We are excited to welcome Mark to the board,” said School Board President Mev Hoberg. “His background in finance and his wealth of experience as a district volunteer are excellent assets for the board.”
Jakubik stepped down from the board in April to pursue employment opportunities in the Bainbridge school district.
Emerson was the only person to seek an appointment to the vacant school board seat. He was interviewed and selected during a special school board session last week.
Emerson owns a consulting business where he works as a contract chief financial officer and financial controller, according to the school district. He has worked in the finance and accounting field for more than 20 years, and has a master’s degree in business administration from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Santa Clara University.
District officials said Emerson is a seasoned volunteer in local schools. He has served on several committees, including the District Improvement Plan Committee and the District Budget Advisory Committee, and was treasurer for Woodward Middle School’s Parent Teacher Organization. Emerson has also been the treasurer for Bainbridge Island Public Schools Supporters, the campaign organization that supports levies and bonds for the island’s public schools. He was also treasurer for the district’s Parent Teacher Organization Coordinating Council. Emerson’s other volunteer work includes time as a board member for United Way of Kitsap County.
Emerson, his wife Angie, and their three children have lived on Bainbridge since 2008. The couple’s children are all students at Bainbridge High School.