ALPENA — On Tuesday night, the Onaway Area Community School District Board of Education held a special meeting where they unanimously voted to select John Kaszonyi to fill the open board position vacated by Jeremy Veal.

Two people applied for the position. Kaszonyi was the only one of those two candidates to make an appearance at the meeting.

Kaszonyi was one of eight candidates on the ballot in November seeking a six-year term on the board.

He is a retired interim superintendent and served on the school board in Atlanta.

Kaszonyi is connected to the district through his wife, Viki, who works at Onaway Schools as a fourth-grade teacher. Their granddaughter is a seventh-grade student at Onaway, Kaszonyi said.

“My wife Viki has been a lifelong educator,” he said through a livestream of the meeting. “We were both young teachers in Sandusky, Ohio. We moved up the administrative ranks together, and education runs deep in our blood.”

Kaszonyi has been involved in the bond for a new Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system at the school, according to himself and board member Lain Veihl.

When asked what he thinks should be the biggest focus after finding a new superintendent and installing a new HVAC system, Kaszonyi responded that he wants to focus on developing the curriculum and maintaining the school’s facilities.

Board members asked Kaszonyi how he would deal with negativity on Facebook and elsewhere.

“Facebook does not define who I am and how I think, particularly when it comes to education,” Kaszonyi said.

Board member Annette Porter asked Kaszonyi how he would handle not getting the vote when he is passionate about a particular issue.

“Everybody has a different opinion, a different set of principles and data that they operate on,” he said. “That’s what makes us unique. At the end of the day, when the vote is done, hopefully, we can remain cordial and move on to the next issue.”

Board president Mike Hart asked Kaszonyi how he would separate his personal politics from his position on the board, which is supposed to be non-partisan.

“Left wing, right wing, they both belong to the same bird,” he said. “I believe in our country, I believe in our people.”

If the board can work together and make Onaway a school that people want their kids to attend, that’s the name of the game, Kaszonyi said.

Immediately after Kaszonyi’s interview, the board voted unanimously to elect Kaszonyi to the vacant board position.

After Kaszonyi’s appointment, board members discussed requirements, preferences, and pay ranges for applicants to the superintendent position led by John Scholten from the Michigan Leadership Institute.

Before the meeting’s adjournment, board member Tom Moran thanked his fellow board members for running a good meeting.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.