Steeleville District 138 elects new president

<span>STEELEVILLE -- The Steeleville District 138 Board of Education held its reorganization meeting on Wednesday, which included the election of officers for the next term.</span>

<span>Korey Bockhorn was unanimously elected as president, replacing retiring President Richard Tretter. Tretter has spent 24 years as a member of the Steeleville BOE, and was presented with a plaque by Bockhorn that commemorated his years of service.</span>

<span>"Working with the other board members," Tretter said during a media interview after the meeting, when asked what his favorite memories were. "I've worked with a lot of really good people over the years who were dedicated to the school district and dedicated to the community."</span>

<span>Tretter said his immediate plans were to work for two or three more years and then he and his wife, Mary, will be moving to Marion.</span>

<span>"My son lives there and my grandchildren are there," he said. "We're looking forward to that move and hopefully, I'll stay in good health and have a long retirement."</span>

<span>With the departure of Tretter, no one on the board has more than four years of experience. In the April 7 election, Aaron Fiene, Lisa Lowry-Rohlfing and Bockhorn were all elected to second terms.</span>

<span>"Richard had been on the board since I had been hired as superintendent and (Steeleville Elementary) principal," said District Superintendent Stephanie Mulholland. "I've worked with him a lot and he's always been a very stabilizing factor for the board and for me.</span>

<span>"He's really good at putting things in perspective."</span>

<span>Mulholland also highlighted Tretter's sense of humor.</span>

<span>"The joke between us is always 'Did the plant burn down today Stephanie?' No, no, it didn't, 'then you're OK,'" Mulholland said. "He was just very calming and that's his demeanor."</span>

<span>Mulholland also gave her opinion on Bockhorn's election as president.</span>

<span>"I also think Korey has a similar demeanor," she said. "He's a very good listener. He takes in all sides of a discussion and takes time to decide what his personal opinion is."</span>

<span>In other action, Shelley Dintelman was seated. Dintelman became the board's newest member with an election-best 233 votes.</span>

<span>Lowry-Rohlfing defeated challenger Lisa Ernsting by one vote, 166-165, to earn another term.</span>

<span>"I'm very honored to be selected," Dintelman said of her election. "I look forward to helping out and doing what I can."</span>

<span>Dintelman is a project manager with civil engineering firm EFK Moen, LLC and manages the company's Fairview Heights office.</span>

<span>"I'm from Steeleville and have lived here pretty much my whole life," she said. "My daughter's in first grade this year."</span>

<span>The board also elected Fred Frederking as vice president and Rick Smith as secretary. The board agreed to keep the same general schedule for its meetings as the third Monday of each month, but decided to bump its starting time from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.</span>

<span>"Financials, obviously," Mulholland said on what challenges the new board faces. "That's a question anybody would answer with 'finances.'</span>

<span>"(The state) keeps cutting money and over the last four years, lots of hard decisions had to be made."</span>