Lake Oswego School Board Appoints Neelam Gupta To Director Position 2, Elects New Board Chair And Vice Chair (Photo) -06/23/20

The Lake Oswego School Board unanimously voted to appoint Neelam Gupta to director position 2, and Director Sara Pocklington to board chair. Their terms begin immediately in replacing Senator Rob Wagner who was serving as board chair. The board also unanimously voted to appoint Director Kirsten Aird as vice chair, effective July 1, 2020, when Director Liz Hartman’s term as vice chair ends.

Gupta, who has a 30-year history with Lake Oswego, brings to the school board significant district, school, community and professional experience. Most recently, she served as co-chair of the Lake Oswego School District’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee, co-chair of the Learning Levy campaign, co-treasurer of the Lake Oswego Junior High Parent Club, and vice president of the Lake Oswego Schools Foundation. Gupta was slated to serve as the president of the Foundation, but will step down from that position to serve on the school board. Gupta also volunteers with LO for Love, Respond to Racism, Hunger Fighters and National Charity League. Professionally Gupta is a strategic health care leader who has made a career of advancing equity for diverse communities in cross-sector, multi-million dollar initiatives. 

Gupta was appointed by board members Vice Chair Hartman and Directors Aird, Pocklington and John Wallin. She was selected from a pool of 24 applicants and three finalist interviews conducted on Monday, June 15. Gupta will serve on the board for the next school year; position 2 will be up for election in May 2021 for a four-year term.

Position 2 was made open with Wagner's resignation. Wagner was recently elected Majority Leader of the Oregon State Senate. Because of the demands of his new role during this critical time in our state, Wagner resigned from the School Board, effective June 22. During his three year tenure on the school board, Wagner put diversity, equity and inclusion front-in-center as part of the board's decision making process. He helped form the DEI Advisory Committee. Wagner helped pass an increase in the local option Learning Levy which helps fund nearly 15 percent of the district's operating budget.

“We are extremely proud of Rob and thankful for his service,” said Hartman. “Rob set the tone with his passion for equity and leadership in advocating for each and every one of our students. With the appointment of Neelam to the board, I am confident we will continue championing an equity mindset and advocating for the anti-racism movement in our LOSD community.”

Per board policy, the school board elected a new chair and vice chair. Pocklington, who was elected to the board in May 2017, is the newly elected board chair effectively immediately. Pocklington has served as chair of the LOSD Legal Budget Committee and board lead for the district’s strategic planning efforts. Aird, who was elected to the board in May 2019, is the newly elected vice chair, effective July 1, 2020, after Hartman’s year as vice chair ends. Aird has served as the board liaison for the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee and the Boundary Review committee.

The School Board meets next on Monday, July 27.

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