Health care educator Karen Bondley takes Amy Coulter’s place



Karen S. Bondley, a longtime Lincoln City health care educator and marketer, has been appointed by the Lincoln County School District Board of Directors to fill the director position vacated by Amy Coulter in July when she resigned for personal reasons. The school board made the appointment during a special session on Tuesday.

Intz Walker of Lincoln City, a retired school counselor and educator, was the only other applicant.

During the public session on Tuesday, the board asked the two women a number of questions about their knowledge of the school board, skills, how they would deal with the citizens at board meetings and in public encounters, and how much independence they felt individual schools should have in choosing curriculum.

Walker and Bondley’s answers were not significantly different. In making the nomination to select Bondley, board member Jean Turner said that while both candidates were well qualified to serve, she felt Bondley’s community outreach experience made her the right choice, a sentiment shared by the other members in their 4-0 vote accepting the nomination.

Bondley will represent Zone 1 - which includes Lincoln City and Otis - through June 2011, filling the unexpired term that was held for two years by Coulter after she was elected in May of 2007. In her application for appointment, Bondley wrote, “I facilitate two health career clubs, one at Taft High School and one at Toledo High School. I see the everyday struggles of both students and teachers. I feel I have a good understanding of the issues that our schools face.”

Bondley has two decades of experience in healthcare program development, education and marketing. For the past 10 years, she has been program director of the Oregon Pacific Area Health Education Center in Lincoln City, in affiliation with Oregon Health and Science University and Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital. For the six years prior, she was director of marketing and planning for North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City. She currently serves on two boards: the Lincoln County Public Health Advisory Board and Lincoln County Community Health Center Council. Her educational background includes a bachelor of science degree in social science from Portland State University, and additional training in marketing and quality improvement.

The LCSD school board makes policy for the school district, which encompasses the entire county. With approximately 500 teachers, administrators and support staff, the district serves 5,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade in 10 regular schools and four public charter schools.