A Legacy of Service and Succession: Matt Sallee

Retiring board member
Matt Sallee is recognized by
President David Ball for his
dedicated service to the
Hudson Board of Directors.

A common them almost always emerges when asking board members what drew them to board service. Matt's answer eight years ago was no different. He talked about the experience his own children had in Hudson and was grateful they had the opportunities they did at Hudson. When he originally ran, he felt this was a great way to give back to his community and ensuring that all students have the same positive experiences as his own children. 

As he finishes up his final term on the board, Matt offers sage advice and reflections from his time on the Board. 

I have truly enjoyed the experience these last 8 years being part of such an outstanding team.  We are extremely fortunate to live in a community with outstanding students, teachers, staff, and parents.  Hudson's reputation speaks for itself and high performing students and instructors are considered the norm.  This is certainly not the case in every district and Hudson should never take that for granted.  During my time on the board, I quickly realized how fortunate our district is to have such a strong and experienced team of school administrators.  The level of professionalism exhibited by the administration cascades down into the entire district and sets the bar at a high level constantly driving for excellence.  I’ve always been proud to say I was part of such a well run organization.

One constant facing school boards is the need to make tough decisions.  My approach was to always bring an open mind, lean on the experience gained from years of working with people in business, and at the end of the day let common sense guide us to the best solutions. 

As a board we accomplished some great things in the last 8 years.  Some of the highlights I'm most proud of include:

• Keeping the school open through the vast majority of the pandemic
• Remodel of the Elementary
• Successfully passing a bond issue to renovate and expand the high school
• Working in good faith to pay our teachers the best we can while remaining fiscally responsible
• Helping to manage the school budget to ensure full transparency and an extreme level of financial responsibility for the tax payers in the city of Hudson

As for some parting words of advice for his successors, Matt offers the following: 

• Take the time to understand the financials...it's very complicated, but important
• Keep an open mind, but let common sense guide you
• Lean on your board president's expertise and past experiences.  Dave is an outstanding person who brings a wealth of, "been there, done that" experience. 

Matt brought a wealth of experience to his service that only strengthened the work of the entire Board. He was a good listener, and when he did speak it was always through a lens of common sense. Matt's strengths were many, but among them are his keen business acumen. I could always count on him to ask thoughtful questions, particularly around the areas of school finance. 

Thank you for your service, Matt! We are better because of your leadership!

A Legacy of Service and Succession: Brenda Klenk

Retiring board member
Brenda Klenk is recognized by
President David Ball for his
dedicated service to the
Hudson Board of Directors.

When Brenda decided to run for school board 8 years ago, she did so out of a desire to serve her community. She felt her own children had excellent experiences in school and wanted to ensure that all children have the same great experience. Four years later, she ran again because she felt passionate about being a voice for her neighbors, friends, and community. She felt that it's not enough to sit around and talk about what you want to happen. It's much better to volunteer your time and be part of the process. 

She was passionate about giving our students multiple career opportunities so they are ready for whatever path they decide to choose upon graduation. She believed that having classes and hands-on experiences while in high school would give our students a greater understanding to make educated decisions about their future, hopefully leading them to  a successful career. 

So, as Brenda's service on the Hudson Board of Directors comes to a conclusion this month, I invited her to share with me her reflections on this service and what she takes away from it. Here is what she told me. 

As I reflect on the past eight years as a school board member, the words care, collaboration, and opportunity come to mind.  Through interactions with administrators, staff, and parents, it is abundantly clear how much each of us cares about our students and takes pride in our school.  We see daily the focus on our students’ well-being not only physically but socially as well as the mental health of our students.  We all grasp the importance in the decisions we make and how they affect how our children learn and grow in the classroom and also help them see and expand their potential.  

I’m especially proud of the many updates that have been accomplished in my time as a board member.  From the elementary wing upgrades to the large renovation of the middle school and the innovative addition of the high school, the key to making it all happen has been the collaboration of the school and the community. We work together to make the best decisions for our current enrollment while also thinking ahead to what the future of Hudson Schools will look like. 

The ability to serve as a board member gave me the opportunity to learn about school governance and how the puzzle pieces all have to fit together to make the school run successfully. I have the highest regard for the teachers at Hudson as well as the administrative team, support staff, and my fellow board members.  While there have been occasions we have disagreed on topics, we have been able to have meaningful conversations where each viewpoint is heard and respected.  Opportunities abound when you put your heads together with a shared vision of creating effective learning environments that result in success for all students!

Brenda's strengths are varied. As a staring point, it is incredibly clear to me that she cares very deeply about our school district. Further, she always centered her decisions on what was best for the students in our school district. From a practical standpoint, Brenda was a key advisor on issues of policy, becoming someone I could rely on to ensure our policy was well written, consistent and without error. Anytime a new policy was before the board, before taking the final vote, one of her colleagues inevitably would ask, 'Brenda, have you looked this over'? 

Thank you for your service, Brenda. You will absolutely be missed!