Get to Know Your North Marion School Board Members

What does our seven-member volunteer North Marion School Board do? The School Board members do so much more, but a few of their key duties include: establishing policies that the schools put into action, overseeing financial affairs including the North Marion School District’s budget, authorizing payment on business transactions, directing the collective-bargaining process, and hiring the Superintendent.

Who are the School Board members? There are two U.S. Air Force officers, a longtime nurseryman, a volunteer instructor of traditional Mexican dances, and seven caring parents and public servants. Read all about them!

Glenn Holum

Chair Holum, owner of Plantsmith Growers LLC, is the one in charge of leading School Board meetings (starting/ending meetings, calling for votes on each item, and otherwise navigating through the agenda). 

An experienced community leader who also served on the Marion County Planning Commission and Hubbard Planning Commission, voters elected this local family man to Position 1 in 2017. In the May 18, 2021 Special District Election, voters reelected Holum, who is also a 1991 graduate of North Marion High School.

“I was an alumnus, and I felt like it was time to be of service to the School District to help guide it and create a pathway forward for the next generation to become leaders too.”

Crystal Rostocil

Position 7 Director Rostocil was appointed in 2018 and elected in 2019, and when the Woodburn Independent interviewed her in April 2018, she made this statement: 

"I sought appointment because I am not afraid of doing the hard work that faces the School District in the coming years," she said. "I believe maintaining a clear perspective with an open mind, while being able to still ask those hard-pointed questions as required, will allow the School Board to tackle any challenges that arise."

Heidi Torian

Talk about years of service! Vice Chair Torian was first appointed to Position 3 in 2008 and has been reelected after each four-year term, most recently in the May 2021 election. 

In addition to being a mother of five sons and a North Marion High School graduate, Torian has also served on the Aurora Planning Commission and is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Air Force. 

She sought a position on the School Board because her heart moved her to serve local students.

“I serve on the School Board because I truly believe that every child deserves a high-quality education that meets their individual needs,” Torian explains.

Richard Goddard

Director Goddard is one of the newest faces on the School Board, elected into Position 4 for the first time this past May. Goddard became the subject of a three-part series profiling the three newest School Board members late last year. At the time, he explained his reason for pursuing a seat on the School Board.

“I have served in various volunteer positions focused on education and communities, and the North Marion School Board position presented a great opportunity to apply my interest and experience in supporting communities and education,” says Goddard, a father to three adult sons, who is now pairing up with fiancée, Aurora City Councilor Wendy Véliz, to raise a 14-year-old daughter. “I have experienced first-hand the positive impact that education can have for both students and their families, and I share a commitment to creating opportunities for learning.”

Since then, Goddard says that he has learned a couple things about the position.

“It’s not easy being a School Board member because there’s a lot at stake, and the issues that we’re dealing with are very important to our whole community,” he notes. “I’ve also learned that we have a lot of very inspirational students in our district, and qualified and committed educators and administrators who are all doing their best to provide a quality education for our students.”

Kelsey Newkirk

Bio coming soon

Christine Carbajal

Bio coming soon

Merle Stutzman

Bio coming soon