On Wednesday, March 27, Edwards resident Gretchen Hovey was sworn in as a new member of the Eagle County School District Board of Education.
Hovey will fill the vacancy left by former board president Michelle Stecher, who resigned in January. School board members represent different areas of Eagle County, and the move across the valley precludes Stecher from continuing to serve on the board.
Stecher, who also serves as the executive director of Mountain Youth, was appointed to the school board in 2018 and was re-elected in 2021. From 2021 to 2023, Mr. Stecher was appointed Chairman of the Board and was succeeded by Dan Reynolds in December.
The search for a new director began in February. Hovey was the only applicant and was interviewed during the board's afternoon work session on Wednesday and then sworn in during the evening session.
Hovey has lived in Eagle County full-time since 2015. She currently lives in Edwards with her husband and daughter Skadi. She previously started and owned Hovey & Harrison in Edwards, but she sold part of her business last year.
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Hovey said she decided to run for school board because she sees it as a “good opportunity to give back to the community” and because she “believes in public education.”
“I'm really looking forward to it and I have time,” she said.
Hovey's appointment began immediately, and he joined other school board members after taking the oath of office on Wednesday. She will fill her District F seat, which includes Eaglevale and parts of Avon, until the biennial election in November 2025. At that point, she may elect to run for re-election to her board.
Hovey, who lives and works in Eagle County, said, “I have gotten to know and love many different people within our community.”
“I think our community is very diverse, and I hope that we will be able to listen and understand all the diverse needs that are going on,” she said. “Hopefully, we can leverage that information to make the best, most informed decisions possible.”
Additionally, she believes her entrepreneurial expertise will be helpful in this role.
“There's a business side to being on a school board in terms of understanding the budget and everything. So I was able to really understand that part and maybe add creativity and creativity to that side. “It can bring great insight,” she said.
Still, Hovey expects there will be a significant learning curve, especially in the medium term. But it's a challenge she's ready to take on.
“I'm going to gather as much information as I can and go from there,” she said.
“I'm definitely approaching that position with rose-colored glasses, and I'm going to give the job my all,” Hovey said. “Whatever I do, I give it 110%. This is no different.”