State College Area School Board elects Huff as new president to replace Concepcion

State College Area School District’s board of directors elected a new president on Wednesday night.

Jackie Huff, who was elected to the board in 2021, was unanimously elected after former president Amber Concepcion resigned. Concepcion, who has been on the board for 11 years and served as president for nine, was recently appointed to the Centre County Board of Commissioners.

Concepcion will fill the seat vacated by Michael Pipe, who will serve as deputy chief of staff for public safety under Governor Josh Shapiro. Concepcion will be sworn in as commissioner at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Centre County Courthouse.

“I’m so grateful to each of you who worked so hard to meet the needs of our students, and so grateful for how much I have learned from you about how to approach decisions with a lens focus,” Concepcion said.

After board members — some with tears in their eyes — voted to accept her resignation, they and Interim Superintendent Curtis Johnson thanked her for her years of service to the district.

“Above all, we’re most grateful for your unwavering dedication to our students and your deep commitment to public education,” Johnson said. “We know that your passion for civic involvement will carry over into your important work ahead and we wish you the best.”

Huff is an assistant teaching professor in Penn State’s College of Engineering and a former public high school math teacher.

“It’s been an honor to work with you all the past year,” Huff told the board. “I’m really looking forward to working with each of you for as long as you’ll be here.”

The board is currently accepting applications for the vacant seat and will select a board member from the applicant pool. Applicants will serve until the 2023 municipal elections in November and must live within the district.

Applications for the position will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Jan. 26. Applicants should send in a resume, cover letter, and statement of purpose about their interest in serving on the board to the board secretary, Lynn Tressler, at 240 Villa Crest Drive, State College, PA, 16801, or through email at hlt11@scasd.org.

This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 12:00 PM.