Westfield BOE President to Resign

Westfield Board of Education President Julia Walker announced at Tuesday's board meeting that she will hand over her gavel and resign, according to board member Mitch Slater. Walker, who held the post for eight years, will step down after the board's next meeting on Nov. 22, its sixth meeting of the 2011-2012 school year.

The announcement came as a surprise to board members, Slater said in a telephone interview late Tuesday night. "She'll be missed. She's a pleasure to work with, and I felt very privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Julia."

Walker could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

According to Slater, she stated at the meeting that her reason for resigning was primarily work-related. An attorney who has been working part-time, she recently accepted a full-time position with Atlantic Health Systems, which she said placed additional strains on an already heavily-burdened schedule.

On Nov. 23, Board Vice President Richard Mattessich will assume the role of president in an interim capacity until May. For 60 days, the board will accept resumes from those interested in becoming a new board member and appoint a candidate to finish-out Walker's term. The existing board will then vote on a vice president.

Walker was "very hardworking, very dedicated to the board," Slater said. "The woman has been incredibly dedicated and hardworking, and the success of the school district over the past decade, she's been a big part of that."