Glacier High School Principal Callie Langohr was appointed Thursday to fill an opening on the Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees.

At a special meeting Thursday, the board chose Langohr from a field of 10 candidates to succeed Ralene Sliter — a nine-year board member who died Jan. 7 after a three-year battle with breast cancer.

Langohr’s trustee term ends in May; the position then will be up for election.

Bob Nystuen, board president, said a few words about the loss of Sliter before the selection process got under way. 

“She was a great trustee of the college, a great college supporter and we miss her a lot,” he said. “One of you folks will step into big shoes.”

Besides Langohr, trustee applicants were Chance Barrett of Kalispell, Amy Dexter of Somers, William Gehling of Lakeside, Sandi Grob of Kalispell, Ted Koenig of Kalispell, Terry R. Kramer of Kalispell, Clint Kreitner of Kalispell, Keith Ori of Kalispell and Shari Roubinek of Kalispell.

Nystuen asked them why they wanted to be trustees, what they thought the role of a trustee was and what they would bring to the board. After these three questions, the candidates fielded more specific queries from trustees.

“This is a really hard field to pick from,” trustee Mark Holston said. “You folks haven’t made it easy on us.”

After all 10 got a chance to answer questions, the trustees narrowed the list to Langohr and Ori, a physical therapist and longtime local basketball referee. 

A second vote confirmed Langohr, who previously was a counselor and then principal at Flathead High School before she became Glacier’s principal.

She has close ties to the college.

“I understand the role of the college and the impact it can have on families and the community,” Langohr said. “A few years ago I moved my parents to Buffalo Hill Terrace and gave a memory box to my mom and dad. The first thing my mom packed in hers was the Eagle Award from the college.”

As one of the earliest supporters of Running Start, she has helped Kalispell students get a leg up on secondary education for years.

“I’m very honored to fulfill the term,” she said. “I’m excited, because I have worked with the college for close to 12 years as high school principal.”

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.