Jeannie Smith to Fill Jim Marpe's Seat on Westport School Board

Jeannie Smith, who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Westport Board of Education in the November election, has reportedly been appointed to fill the vacancy left by Republican board member Jim Marpe, who resigned last month to run for first selectman.

As per a report in the Westport News, Smith, who worked for 11 years as a teacher in the Westchester County public schools, will finish the remainder of Marpe's second term, which runs until November 2013.

The board reportedly interviewed several candidates recommended by the Westport Republican Town Committee before selecting Smith — one of four candidates who ran for three open seats on the board in the fall. As per the town charter, a registered Republican had to succeed Marpe on the seven member board.

In addition to working as a public school teacher in New York, Smith also served as an academic interventionist in Westchester County, specializing in literacy development, and as an educational consultant at a Manhattan private school, according to the report.

For more, check out the Westport News report.