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Matt Hamilton of Carbondale is resigning from his seat on the Roaring Fork Schools Board of Education months before his term ends to take a job in Denver.
Hamilton, currently the director of corporate sustainability for Aspen Skiing Co., said in a letter to school leaders that he accepted a position with VF Corporation, a Denver-based apparel company whose brands include The North Face, Dickies, Timberland and Vans.
Because the position is based in Denver, Hamilton said he won’t have time to fulfill his obligations to the board. Hamilton announced his resignation, effective June 13, in a letter to school leaders late Sunday.
“It’s been the joy of my life to serve the children and teachers of the Roaring Fork School District. I know great things will continue to happen for this district, and I look forward to watching that progress in the coming years,” Hamilton said in an interview.
Hamilton was first elected to the school board in 2011, and served as board president for a time.
“These years have not been without their challenges, but without those challenges we’d not know we were having an impact,” Hamilton said in the letter. “I leave the board proud of what we have accomplished together and excited to see how our school district continues to deliver the best product for every child.”
Hamilton pointed to several successes during his time on the board, including passage of a mill levy override, the start of a teacher housing program in Basalt, the implementation of project-based Expeditionary Learning in many schools, and the development of a strategic plan based on a visioning process.
The school board is required to fill the vacant seat within 60 days with an interim board member, or before Aug. 12.
Hamilton’s district B seat, which covers half of Carbondale and extends northwest to include the West Bank and Ironbridge neighborhoods and south to Redstone, was already up for election in November.
Mary Elizabeth Geiger’s District C seat, covering much of south Glenwood Springs east to Missouri Heights, and the District D seat currently held by Shane Larson, covering downtown Glenwood Springs and West Glenwood, are also up for election in November.
“The appointed position would only hold until the next election,” board president Jen Rupert said. Candidates must file nomination paperwork by Aug. 31 to be listed on the ballot.
With the tight timeline, Rupert and others are thinking about who might be interested for the interim.
“It’s not always the easiest position to fill. It takes a lot of time, and it’s hard to find people who would want to do it,” Rupert said. “I hope we can find some good candidates who want to do this work.”
“I think we would all agree that Matt’s shoes will be hard to fill — literally and figuratively,” she added. “Personally, I am grateful to Matt for teaching me how to ask the fierce questions while maintaining an atmosphere of respect.
“We are all appreciative of Matt’s contribution, will all miss his presence, and wish him great things as he moves forward with his new position.”
Rupert said she wants to find someone who can see the big picture, and can explore any issue that comes up from multiple viewpoints.
“My goal is for board members to strive to be the steward, and represent the whole community,” Rupert said.