Well-known Oak Harbor resident Peter Hunt recently stepped down as president of the Oak Harbor School Board as he continues a battle with Parkinson’s disease
Hunt is remaining on the board for now, but said he is scheduled to undergo brain surgery later this year.
“At this time, I don’t think I can be as effective as president,” Hunt said.
Hunt stepped down from the position during the school board’s April 14 meeting. He nominated fellow board member Christine Cribb to succeed him.
Cribb’s appointment was unanimously approved.
Hunt said he has served on the school board for seven years, and was the president of the board for about six months. He also spent a year as school board president about three years ago. According to Hunt, the position of president is rotated among the school board members.
For the past nine years, Hunt has battled the progressively worsening effects of Parkinson’s disease.
Hunt said the disease’s progression recently accelerated, and because it impacts his communication skills, it will be hard to predict in the future how that might affect his ability to lead the board.
Therefore, he said, it was time someone else took the reins as president.
“Somebody else could fill that role better than me.”
Despite stepping down as president, Hunt said he intends to remain on the board for the time being, but added he will to take it on a “month to month” basis.
Hunt said he can’t make a “best guess” about how long he’ll remain on the board, because there’s no way to predict how symptoms of Parkinson’s might affect him.
Hunt said he is scheduled to undergo brain surgery in September. For that, he expects he will have to take at least a month off.
If he is still serving on the school board at that time, Hunt said the outcome of that surgery may play a large factor in determining how long he chooses to remain in the elected position.
Hunt said it was Cribb’s turn to fill the role of president and that he believes she’ll do a good job.
Hunt said he thinks that a new point of view in the president’s position will be a refreshing change, one that will keep the school district moving in the same positive direction it’s been going.
Christine Abbott was unanimously elected as the new vice president, to fill Cribb’s former role.
