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The Albert Lea school board elected new leadership Monday evening in its first meeting of the year.

Board member Kim Nelson will serve as chairwoman, while Gary Schindler will serve as vice chairman.

Nelson was first appointed to the board in 2011 after a previous member resigned and then was elected in 2018 and again in 2022.

She has a long history in education, both at the early childhood level as former executive director of The Children’s Center and now in her role as interim dean of academic affairs for Riverland Community College.

Nelson thanked her fellow board members for their support and said she was humbled with the nomination and looked forward to working in the role.

Schindler, who was elected in 2022 and just completed his first year on the board, said he was privileged to serve in the role.

Board member Dave Klatt will serve as clerk, and Bruce Olson will serve as treasurer.

Angie Hoffman, Neal Skaar and Davy Villarreal will serve as directors.

The board also voted on their standing committees, as who would serve as a school board representative for other committees, such as the Teacher of the Year Committee, the District Curriculum Committee and the Business Education Committee, among others.

Schindler, Klatt and Skaar will serve on the district’s finance committee; Nelson, Olson and Villarreal will serve on the policy review committee; and Olson, Villarreal and Hoffman will serve on the facilities committee.

The board also approved a series of other organizational items, including setting the board meeting schedule and naming banks to use as depositories for school district funds.

They designated Jennifer Walsh, executive director of finance and operations as deputy board treasurer, and Darci Rasmussen, executive assistant to the superintendent and school board as deputy board clerk.

The board authorized Superintendent Ron Wagner and Walsh to lease, purchase and contract for goods within the budget as approved by the board.

They designated Sheila Riebe as school district special education, federal programs and ESEA authority and delegated Walsh and Business Services Coordinator Kaley Grisim and others assigned under Walsh the authority to make electronic transfers with appropriate documentation.

They also designated the Albert Lea Tribune as the official newspaper of the district for legal purposes.

The board also approved the agreement with the district and the Albert Lea Schools Executive Administrative Assistants Association.