Kim Goessler named to Brunswick school board

BRUNSWICK — Less than two weeks after the Brunswick Board of Education began its search to fill the seat of Grant Relic, who died at the age of 66 on Aug. 17, it found his replacement. Kim Goessler, president of the Brunswick Athletic Foundation, was named to the board Wednesday evening and will serve the remainder of Relic's term. She will be sworn in at the Sept. 21 board meeting and will serve 15 months through Dec. 31, 2021. The standard board member term is four years. In November of 2021, hers will be one of three seats on the ballot along with Tammy Schebek and Mary Weinhauer. "We were looking for somebody who could hit the ground running for us. Somebody who knew the district," board President Rich Nowak said. "Somebody who knows all of the administration, how the treasury office works, who is opinionated and gives their opinions for the good of the kids. This is Kim all rolled into one. She's an outstanding example of what we need in our district." The board received 27 letters of intent for the position and interviewed each candidate over three sessions before narrowing it to two finalists. Nowak called the group "the greatest people (he's) ever met." Nowak said both he and Goessler recognize how important Relic was to both the school board and the community. Despite how much Nowak said he is missed, he and Gossesler know it is time to move forward for the benefit of the district. "We miss him terribly. He was the voice of reason and a really special guy," Nowak said. "But she knows that we have to move on for the good of the district right now. We took our time to grieve and now we have to keep moving ahead for the sake of our 7,000 students and 800 employees. She will be a big part of that." Along with her time with the BAF since 2013, Goessler has served on several committees with the district including the Strategic Planning Committee. For someone who already has so much experience serving the community in several roles, Goessler is anxious to serve in a new way. "I'm very honored that I was selected to fill Grant Relic's position," she said. "I was impressed at how many candidates applied for this position. That made me excited that hopefully more people are interested in getting involved in our community. (I'm looking forward to) continuing to serve our community." Goessler acknowledged that the next 15 months are going to be a challenge due to the adjustments put in place because of COVID-19 and with another upcoming bond issue for the district in November of 2021. She's ready to face this challenge head-on and hopes that she can rely on relationships she's built in her time with the district as a backbone, while also continuing to build those and other relationships. "We're in a position that not everyone is going to be happy, no matter what," Goessler said. "I respect everything that they've done to date and it's not going to be easy (moving forward). I'm looking forward to the challenge and continuing to serve." Contact reporter Jack Kopanski at (330) 721-4063 or jkopanski@medina-gazette.com.