The three newest Columbia School Board members were sworn in last month and have begun their first terms on the board of education.

The trio of Adam Hemken, Andrea Khoury and Tyson Search ran uncontested to replace Karen Anderson, Greg O’Connor and John Long, all of whom decided to not run for re-election.

The three new members come from disparate backgrounds and ran for different reasons.

For Hemken, a 12-year Columbia resident and Department of Defense employee, deciding to run for school board was a matter of personal stakes and expertise.

“I have a student in the district in the middle school, and I have a background with planning, budgeting and procurement. So, I thought I was a good fit for the role on that oversight board,” Hemken said.
Hemken said he does not have too many specific goals as a board member, but he does hope to improve the board of education in a key way.

“I don’t have any specific projects in mind other than to just bring some strategic planning as a focus — just additional focus on long-term planning,” he said.

A mother of four, Khoury has had three children graduate from the school district while a fourth remains enrolled.

Those kids kept her busy, but now that three of them have finished high school, she wanted to give back.

“The school district is why people move to the community and why they want to be part of the community, so I think it’s extremely important that it be looked after and run well,” the lifelong Columbia resident said.
An of counsel attorney with Crowder & Scoggins in Columbia, Khoury said she does not have a specific agenda as a school board member.

“From having four kids that have been in this district, I’m generally very happy with it, but there’s always room for improvement,” she said. “One thing I’d like to see Columbia do is a lot more college prep testing and getting our kids ready for the next level.”

Like Khoury, Search decided to serve on the school board because of its impact on the community.

An almost 12-year Columbia resident who works for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Search ran for the board unsuccessfully in 2019, but he decided to try again this year.

“I’m just an actively involved parent and I enjoy being part of the community,” Search said. “I like our teachers, our school and the community.”

Search said he had no immediate goals in terms of new policies or programs.

“I’m just looking to get my feet wet and listen and learn. I don’t have any kind of agenda or anything like that,” he said. “My main focus is to be supportive of the programs, the administration, teachers and parents.”