Enthusiasm Key Factor in Appointee for Rockwood School Board Vacancy

Calling it a very tough decision, the Rockwood School Board whittled a list of eight possible candidates down to one during a public meeting to determine who will fill the term of former board member Steve Smith, who resigned in March.

By a vote of 4-2, the board selected Wildwood resident Darby Jo Arakelian, who will be sworn in on May 2, said she is looking forward to her tenure on the Rockwood School District’s governing body.

“To say that the board faces challenges is an understatement, but instead of just voicing my concerns, I thought it was time to offer up my services and help be part of the solution,” Arakelian said.

Arakelian will stay in the position for the remainder of Smith’s term, which expires next April. She holds a master’s degree and her background includes education in defense analysis and strategic planning, a stint with the CIA and a position as a VP for a St. Louis-based tech firm.

“I think one of my strengths is my ability to listen, consider all the information presented, then develop a strategy and execute an action plan,” she said.

The interviews consisted of seven identical questions with each of the eight candidates and were conducted publicly along with the board’s deliberations on who to choose, although the candidates themselves were kept out of the room.

During their discussions, the board cast an initial round of votes between narrowing their consideration to Arakelian and Larry Feuerstein, whose strong background in finance drew the attention of several board members.

The board noted that both candidates had impressive resumes, but were ultimately won over by Arakelian’s enthusiasm and passion for the position.

In response to the question about the board's ability to maintain a high level of educational excellence in the face of imminent budget cuts, board member Matt Doell noted that Arakelian responded “absolutely” without any hesitation.

During the interview, Arakelian likened to handling the situation to what she currently faces working in the defense industry, which has recently been hit by the across-the-board federal cuts known as sequestration.

“There are a lot of painful cuts but, at the end of the day, we will still build planes … we still get the job done,” she said, later adding that she would be disinclined to use the district’s fund reserves to fill in any budget shortfalls.

Board president Bill Brown also praised Arakelian’s interview.

“I found her answers to be something I agree with philosophically and I think her background in communications is going to be a key point,” Brown said.

The strategic communication portion of her background Brown referred to was something Arakelian brought in response to several questions, including one asking the candidates what challenges they believe the district faces.

“Your biggest challenge is managing your perception,” she said. “Prop S failed because people didn’t believe in what this board could do. It wasn’t because they didn’t understand Prop S or didn’t believe that it needed to occur.”

Smith resignation was driven, in part, because he believed it would help aid the passage of Prop S, which ultimately failed at the polls earlier this month, following a state audit that showed the district overpaid a construction company Smith worked for by more than $1.2 million.