INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Indian River County School Board member Jeff Pegler, who represents the District 2 seat, has tendered his resignation, effective July 26. His term was to end in 2014.
Gov. Rick Scott is expected to appoint someone from Indian River County to fill the vacated seat, according to Supervisor of Elections Leslie Swan. If Pegler’s seat were to be vacant for 28 months or more, a special election would have been called. As it is, there is about 19 months left to his term.
Pegler has decided to take a job outside the area, necessitating a relocation and his removal from the School Board.
“It has truly been an honor to serve the citizens of Indian River County,” Pegler wrote in his resignation letter addressed to Gov. Scott.
“This has been an extremely difficult decision, but I believe that it is the right decision for my family and the citizens of Indian River County,” Pegler wrote in an email. In the email, he outlines his reasons for leaving the School Board, which includes his decision to take a job elsewhere.
“I have accepted an incredible position with an organization whose mission is to help children; however, it will require us to relocate,” he wrote. “I hope that this upcoming chapter in my life will be as fulfilling as my experience on the School Board has been.”
Pegler was voted to the then-Dist. 5 seat in November 2010, after a run-off election against Kimberly Keithan and write-in candidate Althea McKenzie. The School Board district numbers have since been re-aligned to coincide with the district numbers on the Board of County Commissioners.
Whether either woman plans to apply for the appointment to the soon-to-be vacant seat remains to be seen.
Swan, who went through the Governor-appointment process to fill the remainder of then-Supervisor of Elections Kay Clem’s term, said candidates vying for Pegler’s open seat should go to Gov. Scott’s Appointment Office web site and fill out the appointment questionnaire and encourage supporters to make phone calls and send letters on their behalf.
The site can be accessed here: http://www.flgov.com/appointments/.
How long it will take to fill Pegler’s seat is not yet known as Florida statute does not mandate a deadline.
The Supervisor of Elections Office went without an appointed leader for three months. Clem resigned in November 2010, effective Dec. 31, and Swan was officially appointed the following March.
In 2011, School Board member Jeff Pegler set up the Jeffrey and Jennifer Pegler Fund for the Education Foundation of Indian River County, donating a portion of his School Board salary to the fund. The fund supported the operation of the Education Foundation’s programs, which include the Sneaker Exchange Program, providing professional development scholarships and overall operational support for the foundation.
Fellow School Board member Claudia Jimenez said Pegler will be missed.
“He’s an awesome School Board member to work with,” she said, noting that all the members care about children, education and families. “We can’t neglect our own.”
Jimenez said she would miss the unique perspective Pegler brought to the board’s discussions. Being in the legal field, Pegler often brought different ideas forward and asked thought-provoking questions, she said.
“It’s our loss,” Jimenez said of Pegler’s leaving. “And someone else’s gain.”
