Three Candidates, Including One Incumbent, Win Election to the USD 333 Concordia Board of Education
After months of lead-up, voters have made their choices for the next members of the USD 333 Concordia Board of Education.
Mike Cleveland, Amber Lambertz and Jenny Parker have been elected to four-year terms on the board, while one additional seat to fill an open position will be decided when the Cloud County Review Board meets at 9 am on Wednesday, November 8th to count write-in votes from this year's election.
Parker, who was appointed by the school board to her Position 2, Sub-District 2 seat on April 10, 2023, filling a seat left vacant following this year's resignation of board member Mark Nordell, officially won re-election against no opposition on Tuesday, November 7th. Parker, a Foster Care Administrator for the Northwest and Southwest Region for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, won a full four-year term by receiving 951 votes.
Cleveland, a 1970 graduate of Concordia High School, won the District 3, Position 3 seat with 630 votes. Cleveland, a retired National Sales Manager for Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc. and a farmer with Higher Ground Farms, LLC, fills a seat that was left vacant this summer after board member Tony Miller resigned his position after accepting a job as an assistant football coach at Concordia High School. Cleveland now holds two elected positions in the county. Earlier this year, Cleveland was appointed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to fill the Cloud County Commission seat that became vacant following the resignation of Mark Matthew due to family and health concerns.
Lambertz, an agent with Farm Bureau Financial Services, also secured a four-year term on the board by capturing 597 votes to win the Member At-Large position. This year marked the second time Lambertz had sought a position on the board of education. Lambertz previously ran for the District 3, Position 6 seat in 2021, but was defeated by current board member Brad Berk in that year's general election.
Challenger Bryan Cleveland captured 489 votes, failing to win a seat on the board.
Challenger Jerlynn Johnston also failed to win a position, garnering 332 votes.
No one filed for the District 1, Position 1 seat that is presently held by Bryan Bombardier. In October, KNCK News announced Concordia High School graduate, journalist and author Lindsay Metcalf had officially launched a write-in campaign for the position. The Cloud County Clerk's Office reports 382 write-in votes were cast, and the Cloud County Review Board will meet on Wednesday to determine the votes cast in that race.
USD 333 Concordia Board of Education
Position 1, Sub-District 1
Write-In Votes - 382 votes (100%)
Position 2, Sub-District 2
Jenny Parker - 951 votes (97.24%)
Write-In Votes - 27 votes (2.76%)
Position 3, Sub-District 3
Mike Cleveland - 630 votes (57.59%)
Jerlynn Johnston - 332 votes (30.35%)
Tony Miller - 121 votes (11.06%)
Write-In Votes - 11 votes (1.01%)
Member At-Large
Amber Lambertz - 597 votes (54.52%)
Bryan Cleveland - 489 votes (44.66%)
Write-In Votes - 9 votes (0.82%)