NPS bids farewell to Chad Vice, announces new hires

Mar. 13—The Norman Public Schools Board of Education bade well to Chad Vice, Office 4, who announced last year that he would not run for re-election.

The Cordell native and business owner began serving on the board 10 years ago and will be remembered for providing nuance and balance to public discussion.

"Chad, your ability to navigate the toughest of conversations, even with me, and your commitment to represent all sides and attempt to find common ground has been admirable and very much appreciated," said Nick Migliorino, NPS superintendent. "You possess a rare commitment to stand up for what you believe in, especially when advocating for what you believe is the well-being of every child, parent, and teacher."

Vice serves as the CEO of Service Group of Oklahoma, a company he co-founded in 2015. Previously, he volunteered for Watch DOGS — Dads of Great Students, which promotes student engagement by providing father figures in school settings.

He told The Transcript he was inspired to serve as a board member because his own mother was a public school educator.

"My mom invested over 30 years in public education. I know, first hand, the dedication teachers put forward every day," Vice told The Transcript.

Board member Annette Price publicly thanked Vice for his service.

"Your legacy will endure in the policies that you helped shape and the initiatives that you championed and the lives that you've touched along the way," Price said.

During Vice's time, he saw the creation of the Dimensions Academy following the 2019 bond. He also saw the Oklahoma Aviation take off, and most recently, he said he is most proud of the district's acquisition of the old Journeys Church, which will be retrofitted into a 1,500 seat, 60,000 square-foot fine arts center, more than double the capacity the original bond called for.

Dirk O'Hara, NPS board president said being a board member is a larger commitment than what most people realize.

"It's not just a couple of hours a month," O'Hara said. "It's multiple hours every week that you are going to be getting back."

He said it is hard to be a board member because they need to think how to encourage children to work harder and better succeed while also making school fun.

Alex Ruggiers, board member, said perhaps the hardest part of being a board member is facing public criticism, regardless of how a member votes.

"I think the public doesn't always fully grasp the weight of making the decision to run for office, putting yourself out there as tribute and bearing the burden of the decisions that are made knowing that someone is always going to be upset about it," Ruggiers said.

Vice said amid a politically divisive time in the nation's history, it is important to remember what matters most in education.

"We must resist the allure of petty politics in diverse rhetoric and instead stand united in pursuit of a brighter future for all NPS students," Vice said.

To fill the seat's vacancy, on Tuesday, April 2, voters will choose between Dawn Brockman and Scott Christian.

Brockman serves as the director of alumni relations and university development at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha. She is a former Latin teacher at Moore School District and Putnam City School District. She continues to teach Latin as an adjunct professor at USAO.

Christian is a commercial lender for Prosperity Bank and co-owns Burn Boot Camp gym in Norman.

At the board meeting, NPS tapped Carrie Burkhart to serve as chief information officer. She currently works at Feed The Children and previously worked for Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Tyler Jones, previously of Eide Bailly, will become the new chief financial officer and will work with Brenda O'Brian, who announced her retirement last month. She will continue to work until July.

Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.