Sequim School Board directors have appointed parent-volunteer Nicholas Bell to replace director Larry Jeffryes, following his resignation in July.

Bell, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, was chosen on Sept. 15 after the board conducted interviews with Bell and three candidates, Jeremy Hako, Ricky Johnson, and Charles Meyer. A fifth candidate, Alysia Tourette, withdrew her application.

Candidates went before board directors and were each given 20 minutes to talk about their qualifications and ask questions about the position. Bell was unanimously chosen after an executive session.

“It’s an honor,” Bell said in an interview.

“Not having been in this position, I don’t know what I don’t know, but I’m committed to the institution, the kids, and the community.”

He’ll be sworn in at the Nov. 3 board meeting.

Board President Eric Pickens said that all of the candidates were amazing and that any of them could have easily served in the role.

“I feel their hearts were all in the right place for our students,” he said.

Fellow director Maren Halvorsen agreed, and said she found them to be “meaningful and inspirational” when speaking about their interest in serving the school district.

“Student needs were brought up a lot by every candidate,” she said.

In his application, Bell wrote that he is committed to the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars from the $146 million bond supporting facilities modernization; ensuring the district provides equitable resources for all students; and fostering safe, inclusive learning environments that nurture the developmental growth of our community’s youth and the success of the district’s staff.

Jeffryes’ director seat No. 1 serves the western portion of Sequim School District. Bell will serve through November 2026, when the next school board election is held.

More about Bell

Bell, a parent of a student now at Helen Haller Elementary, started the Greywolf Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) program a few years ago that encourages men in the community that consider themselves to be a positive role model to spend quality time with children as volunteers at Greywolf Elementary.

“Research has shown, when men get involved in the academic and developmental aspects of growing up, there’s a profound change in behavior and performance,” Bell said.

He said the program has helped children connect with needed services and feel supported.

“Through this program, we wanted to convey something to the children — you possess unique and inherent value,” Bell said. “And I know the world is a better place because you’re in it.

“I believe we’ve made a powerful change at Greywolf.”

Bell was also a volunteer with Citizens for Sequim Schools that advocated for the district’s four-year $36.2 million Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) levy renewal and a $146 million, 20-year construction bond that were both approved in February by voters.

He is a former volunteer with KSQM and was named a volunteer special deputy for Clallam County Sheriff’s Office’s Search and Rescue team, he said.

Bell has a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Washington, and an MBA in finance.

After graduating from UW, he joined the U.S. Air Force, he said, and went on to become a pilot. He is a combat veteran. Bell also led more than 100 personnel as the Base Comptroller Commander, and managed a multi-million-dollar annual budget, human resources, training, and more.

Growing up in Seattle, Bell attended public schools. His father was a college president and his mother a school psychologist, he told board directors.

Bell said he gleaned from his father’s leadership style that when things became contentious or unclear, he’d redirect the room, start over and seek what’s in the best interest of the students.

“That mantra got into me and became a thing that’s resonated through my career,” he said.

He quoted the Air Force’s core values as some of his own: “Integrity first; service before self; and excellence in all that we do.”

During Bell’s 20 minutes, he spoke about the importance of stakeholder engagement, and using data based on evidence and best practices for tax dollars.

For more about the Sequim School District, visit sequimschools.org.

Note: Matthew Nash has family employed by and enrolled in Sequim School District.