Collier School Board keeps Terry as chairman, elects Lucarelli as vice chair

The Collier County School Board voted Tuesday to keep board member Roy Terry as its chairman and replace Erika Donalds with Stephanie Lucarelli as vice chair.

The one-year positions are effective immediately.

Roy Terry

Terry and Donalds were both nominated for chair. Terry, Lucarelli and Eric Carter voted for Terry, while Donalds and Kelly Lichter voted for Donalds.

Terry said the public views him as a mediator capable of keeping the divided board moving forward.

Stephanie Lucarelli

“A lot of people felt that things have gone fairly smoothly over the last year and they want to continue down that path,” Terry said. “Hopefully we can keep everybody on track and focused on making our schools better.”

Lichter and Donalds, who opposed the vote, voiced concern over the decision.

Lichter said a new district ought to be represented in the board’s leadership with each new election cycle.

Historically, the chair positions have been rotated.

“It’s really concerning to me with what transpired today,” she said. “The cycle has been broken.”

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