Last night the Arkansas City Public Schools board of education unanimously appointed Mike Walker to the vacancy on the board after interviewing six “highly qualified” candidates.

Board member John Mars said today the selection was an “extremely difficult decision because all of the candidates are highly qualified” for the position on the board. Vice President Daren Reese agreed with Mars about the difficulty of the decision, adding that it was one of the harder things the board has had to do.

“It was a sheer pleasure interviewing six candidates who are truly interested about education and such quality people,” Reese said.

Mars said Walker will add balance to the board and has a unique perspective of someone who has lived away from the Ark City area for some time.

“Mike is very high energy, and he always delivers results,” Mars said. “He will be valuable to the board. I feel we now have a very balanced and capable board of education. I am very proud of the team we have right now.”

Reese added that Walker has a passion for education and for the community.

“He can see how our community needs to be more positive about the great things that are going on. We don’t want people to leave (Ark City),” Reese said. “We need to expect them to come back home, but the key is that we have to give them something to come home for.”

Walker said he feels lucky to have been selected to fill the board vacancy. Had they chosen any other candidate for the position, he said the board would have been equally as well off. Last night the board said all of the candidates would have been excellent for the vacancy, and they were sorry they only had one vacancy to fill.

Biographical information

Walker and wife Rhonda have three children ages 14, 11 and 5, who attend school in Ark City. The Walkers own Olen Medical Supply in Ark City and have lived in the area since 1995. He has previous experience in banking and finance in several states.

Walker has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, and performed research fellowship and doctoral studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

He has served on the Salvation Army board, was a Denton Arts Center board member and chair, an Arkalalah executive board member and chair, and a Chamber of Commerce executive board member and vice chair. Walker is a charter member of the Ark City chapter of American Business Club, a Rotarian, a Habitat for Humanity volunteer and a 4-H volunteer. He also has worked with several school-related activities and associations in Ark City.

Each candidate was given 18-20 minutes for an individual interview last night. Candidates answered prepared and spontaneous questions from the board and also were able to ask the board questions.

Candidates for the vacancy were Sharon Ellis, leader of logistics and supplies management for General Electric Engine Services; Coleen Estep, retired from GE and former USD 470 BOE member; Rhonda Green, M.D., medical doctor specializing in family care; Pete Lander; special education teacher employed by Winfield School District teaching in Arkansas City schools; and Joe Shriver, former state representative and currently an adjust instructor at Cowley College.

Other members of the board are President Joelyn Squires, Glenn Clarkson, Mars, Reese, Pat Simmons and Joe Woodard.

The vacancy was created with Gary Wilson’s resignation Jan. 31. In a letter to the board and administration, Wilson said the reason for his resignation is a 1979 opinion of the Kansas attorney general that a person cannot serve on both a board of education and a county commission.