Schoolcraft College trustees have chosen Joan A. Gebhardt to fill a vacancy on the Board of Trustees. She will be sworn in at the regular board meeting January 24 and will serve until June 30, 2007. The seat will be up for election on May 8, 2007; the seat's six-year term expires in 2013.

Gebhardt, a Livonia resident, is a retired school teacher and principal and currently serves as an adjunct professor in Madonna University's College of Education.

"Ms. Gebhardt is an outstanding addition to our board," said Mary Breen, board chairperson. "She brings a wealth of knowledge of K-12 and postsecondary education, and she has significant experience serving on other boards of directors."

Gebhardt earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's in educational administration from Eastern Michigan University before joining the Taylor School District. During her 30-year career in Taylor, Gebhardt worked in a K-6 setting, including 10 years as a classroom, learning resource and music teacher, and 20 years as a principal. After retiring from Taylor she spent a year in the Armada School District, where she mentored principals, supervised the district's early childhood, MEAP testing and after-school programs, and served as an early elementary school principal.

Throughout her career in education Gebhardt has pursued graduate-level studies at Madonna University, the University of Southern Colorado, Michigan State University, and Saginaw Valley State University.

Her community involvement has included the board of directors of the Northwest Wayne County League of Women Voters and the Livonia Senior Center.

The board received eight applications for the vacant position, and seven accepted the invitation for an interview. Interviews took place December 16 at a special meeting, after which the board chose Gebhardt.

"The field of applicants was impressive," said Breen. "Each individual had something to offer the college, which made the choice very difficult."

Schoolcraft College is a public two-year college, offering classes at the Livonia campus on Haggerty Road between Six and Seven Mile Roads, at the Radcliff Center in Garden City, and online.