QuickTake:

Bob Brew will fill the seat of Heather Quaas-Annsa’s who resigned in February. Board members liked his extensive experience in public service and as a government finance worker.

The Springfield school board has a new member.

Members of the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education approved Bob Brew to fill a vacant seat in their Monday, March 9, meeting on a 3-1 vote.

Vice Chair Amber Langworthy ended up being the deciding factor after three votes were deadlocked 2-2. Langworthy ended up joining board Chair Jonathan Light and Ken Kohl in voting for Brew. Nicole De Graff voted no.

Brew’s appointment ended the board’s difficult four-member era following the resignation of former board Chair Heather Quaas-Annsa a month ago. In addition to losing a board member, Springfield Public Schools has experienced months of upheaval from board and district leader conflicts, midyear teacher layoffs and former superintendent Todd Hamilton’s resignation.

A longtime government finance worker in Eugene, Springfield and at the state level, Brew also has been a Springfield city councilor and planning commissioner. Additionally, he led statewide education organizations, including the Oregon Student Access Commission and Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Brew and his children attended Springfield Public Schools.

“I’ve been doing public service for 35 years, so I’ve probably seen just about everything,” he said after the meeting. “I know that all the people on the board, their heart is in the right place. I think I have the emotional intelligence and also the technical expertise to help.”

The district and board are facing the tall tasks of preparing and passing next year’s budget, which has a projected shortfall of $10.4 million, approving new elementary curriculum materials and appointing an interim superintendent for the 2026-27 school year — all in the next four months.

However, stability is slowly returning to Springfield. Monday marked Jodi O’Mara’s first board meeting as acting superintendent after being appointed two weeks ago. Members of the public and board members praised her initial outreach efforts, which included school visits, a community and staff survey and a planned community event at Washburne Cafe.

“It just really showed how willing you are to listen to the community and the parents and the staff,” Langworthy said, referring to the survey O’Mara sent out.
“It really made staff feel good to have that, so I appreciate that quite a bit.”

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Lilly is a graduate of Indiana University and has worked at the Indianapolis Star and in Burlington, Vermont, as well as working as a foreign language teacher in France. She covers education and children's issues for Lookout Eugene-Springfield.