East Penn Board Names Wally Vinovskis to fill Stolz’s Vacant Director Seat

The East Penn Board of School Directors selected Rev. Wally Vinovskis to Julian Stolz’s empty seat on the board, during a special meeting Monday night. Vinovskis, the pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Lower Macungie Township, won the seat after four rounds of voting by the board.

A total of 14 candidates were interviewed during a 90-minute session prior to the board’s regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. East Penn School Board President Charles Ballard, who was in Washington D.C., participated in the meeting via Skype and voted via text message. Board Vice President Alan Earnshaw ran the meeting in Ballard's absence.

Each candidate was given a maximum of two minutes to make an opening statement and then was asked to respond to a series of questions that covered topics ranging from teacher pension to charter school. The process ended with a ballot vote by the board.

A total of five votes was needed to be awarded the position. Candidates who received no votes in the first round of voting were eliminated. In subsequent rounds of voting the candidate with the lowest number of votes was eliminated.

Vinovskis garnered the required votes in round four of the ballot voting. Ballard, Earnshaw, and directors Francee Fuller, Sandy Rhodes and Ken Bacher ultimately voted for Vinovskis.

The other candidates were: Paul Champagne, Christopher Donatelli, George Doughty, Scott Forbes, Anthony Guerrero, Jamie Hughes, Amy Miller, John Reynard, Terry Richwine, Katherine Sarver, Trevor Schneck, Michael Siegel and Ann Thompson. 

Vinovskis, 50, was administered the take the oath of office by Earnshaw at beginning of the regular board meeting and then joined his new colleagues at the dais.

A Macungie resident and father of four, Vinovskis said he has a "passion for public education" during the interview process. He mounted an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the board in 2011.

When asked if he would run for re-election if chosen to fill the vacant seat, Vinovskis said: "I hate the politics and the process of going through an election, but I live to serve and if I were appointed I would continue."    

Stolz resigned his position last month amid controversy about relationship with a teenage East Penn student and his activity on a teen-focused social media web site. His resignation letter was posted on his blog, The Stolz Report, on Oct. 15.

Vinovskis will serve for the remainder of Stolz's term, which ends in December 2015. School board members are unpaid.