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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Three compete for NIC post

Taryn Brodwater Staff writer

A 19-year-old student, a former mayor and a police sergeant are vying for a seat on North Idaho College’s board of trustees.

The filing deadline was Wednesday for candidates for the two open seats on NIC’s board of trustees. Board Chairman Rolly Williams is unopposed in his bid for re-election. Tyler Allen Smith, Jim Hammond and Christie Wood have filed for the other open seat, currently held by Fred Ostermeyer.

Ostermeyer, a former board chairman, did not file for re-election.

Smith, a sophomore at NIC, came from Superior, Mont., to study criminal justice. He now lives in Hayden.

Though he has no political experience, Smith said he served as a liaison between his 137-student high school’s student council and the school board. He attended board meetings, reported news from the high school to the board and surveyed student opinions.

He’s running for trustee because he said he doesn’t see any of the current board members on campus and wants student representation on the board.

“Right now the students don’t have a vote, or really a voice, with the board of trustees,” Smith said. “I’m down here at the campus four days a week, so I’m interacting with the staff and the faculty members and a lot of students.”

Smith said he also wants to encourage community participation in campus events.

Jim Hammond is a former member of the State Board of Education, the current city administrator for Post Falls and a former mayor. He serves on the State Board of Education’s Charter School Commission.

Hammond said he’s running because he was asked by several people.

“What I can do is lend my experience on the Board of Education and my own experience in education,” he said. “I’m pretty good at analyzing issues and trying to get down to the nuts and bolts of the issue and developing strategies for coming up with alternatives.”

Hammond said he wanted a chance to visit with the campus community before saying what he hopes to accomplish as a trustee.

Christie Wood is a sergeant and public information officer with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and has served several years on the Coeur d’Alene School District’s board of trustees. She attended NIC years ago, and again recently as she worked toward completing her degree. She recently received a master’s degree from Lewis-Clark State College.

Wood was unavailable for comment Wednesday, but in a previous interview said she was running because she was “fond of the school.”

As a non-traditional student, Wood said she received a great deal of support.

“I just want to be part of that,” she said. If elected, Wood said she would continue to serve on the school district’s board.

Trustee elections will be held in conjunction with the Nov. 2 general election.