CK school board president turns in resignation

The president of the Central Kitsap School Board, Bob VanDenburgh, has resigned to take a job in Texas.

“I resigned last night” at the CK School District’s regular board meeting, said VanDenburgh in an interview Thursday, July 11. His resignation will become effective as of the board’s next regular meeting, Aug. 14.

But VanDenburgh and family will be long gone by then.

“We’re leaving for Denver City, Texas, next week,” he said, explaining that “A pretty incredible job opportunity presented itself ... that me and my wife (Pattie) decided to take.”

Denver City, about 75 miles southwest of Lubbock, with a population of about 4,000, wouldn’t seem to offer much. However, the small town is home to the Mustang Energy Station, owned by North American Energy Services, a large utility. VanDenburgh will be Mustang’s new maintenance supervisor at the natural gas and steam energy plant.

It means a big jump in pay and a return to the kind of work he used to do and enjoys the most, he said.

“I’ve been in sales as a technical recruiter, working out of an office in Seattle,” he said. He recruited tech personnel for companies nationwide.

“I’ll be able to go back to a ‘hands-on’ job in my own field,” he said. “We’re going to miss the school district and Silverdale.”

He said it’s a big change from the Northwest where his family has lived for 16 years.

“Up here its trees and water and mountains ... in Texas it’s all flat and hot and empty.”

He and his wife and the couple’s 18-year-old daughter will leave July 17 and VanDenburgh will start work July 22. The couple’s 21-year-old son likes the Northwest and has decided to stay behind. The daughter will attend college in Hobbs, N.M., just over the Texas border from Denver City.

As a tribute to VanDenburgh's contributions to the District and

the community, board members made a $100 donation to the Paul Linder

Education Foundation for CKSD. In addition, Superintendent Cathy Davidson presented VanDenburgh with a plaque.

VanDenburgh was first elected to the board in the fall 1997 to

represent Area I, including Cottonwood, Woodlands and Tracyton

elementaries, Fairview Junior High, and Olympic High School.

He was elected legislative representative in 1997 and 1998, and became board president in the fall of 2000. VanDenburgh was elected to serve a second four-year term on CK's School Board in the fall of 2001.

As of Aug. 14, when his resignation becomes official, the board has 90 days to fill the vacancy.

The CK School Board will announce the application and appointment process Aug. 14. Those interested can call the superintendent’s office at 692-3111.

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