Jon Sjøberg Appointed To Fill Vacant School Committee Seat; Will Run For Re-Election

Former longtime Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee (GDRSC) member and a former Vice Chairman, Jon Sjøberg will step back onto the committee following his appointment at a joint meeting between the Board of Selectmen and the four Groton members of the GDRSC.

The vacancy occurred when School Committee member John Giger resigned from the post in late February. Sjøberg has also taken out papers for the one-year seat and the three-year seat on the School Board.

Resident Marlena Gilbert also placed her name in for consideration for the short-term appointment and has also taken out nomination papers for a seat on the School Board.

A resident of Groton for four years, she is a member APEX- an advocacy group for the Groton Dunstable Regional School District; owner and manager Feeney the Florist in Chelmsford; manager of an 18-unit apartment complex and President of Apartment connection, a firm that addresses a variety of housing needs.

Both Sjøberg and Gilbert's names were placed in nomination for the appointment. Selectmen and Groton members of the School Committee then voted. On a 7 to 2 vote, Sjøberg was appointed. On a roll call vote, Selectmen Peter Cunningham, Jack Petropoulos, and Anna Eliot voted for Sjøberg while Selectmen Josh Degen and Stuart Schulman voted for Gilbert; and School Committee members Alison Manugian Leslie Lathrop, Jeff Kubick and Tom Steinfeld were unanimous in their choice of Sjøberg.

Those who voted for Sjøberg cited his lengthy experience and ability to get up to speed very quickly. Members of both committees thanked Gilbert for putting her name in contention and encouraged her to continue her interest in the schools and to run for one of the School Committee seats.