While Glenn Lautzenhiser has served the Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees for more than 25 years — it’s an amount of time the retired risk manager said he never expected to serve.
“I’m amazed that the time has gone so fast, it just feels like a few years, really,” Lautzenhiser, who recently completed his final five-year term on the board, told The Dispatch this morning.
Lautzenhiser will be honored Tuesday with a public reception hosted by the school board and CMSD Superintendent Philip Hickman. It will take place from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Brandon Central Services Station on McArthur Drive. The public is invited to attend.
Lautzenhiser began his service to the district in 1989, when he was a member of a blue ribbon panel that assisted the CMSD board. Lautzenhiser said that experience led him to apply for a position on the school in 1991. He held the post from then until March.
CMSD Board president Angela Verdell said the school board will miss the years of experience and connection to the community that Lautzenhiser brought.
“He knew what has been done that didn’t work, or what did work in the past, and provided that kind of continuity for the board,” she said. “We’ll have to try to fill that void. We can’t replace Mr. Lautzenhiser, but we’re going to miss him.”
Lautzenhiser, whose three children went through the CMSD system prior to this time on the board, calls his time with the district a “labor of love.”
“There’s a lot of reading to be done, you’re always stopped at the grocery store by people who want to discuss their problems, but that was fine,” he said. “I enjoy interacting with people and I consider my time with the board as one of the highlights of my life. I consider it an honor.”
Lautzenhiser will continue in a volunteer role within the community — including more than 350 speaking presentations on an annual basis; his hour-long radio program discussing the history of different hymns Thursday mornings on WTWG; as a cofounder of the Possum Town Toastmasters Club; as a reading ambassador with Franklin Academy; as a guest teacher with Mississippi University for Women and the Lowndes County Juvenile Detention Center.
“I do associate with a lot of youngsters,” he said. “It’s a gratifying thing being able to interact with young people and tell them the decisions they make today are going to last a lifetime. They’re going to be the people running the town, state and nation — so I feel it’s important to encourage and support them.”
In his almost three decades with the board, Lautzenhiser said he has tried to be a “visible” figurehead within the district.
“I just tried to be supportive every way I can…I go to football, baseball games, class nights,” he said. “I tried to go to as many events and programs I could think of and I think that resonated with people.”
While no particular situations stick out to Lautzenhiser, he said his favorite memory is simply the people with whom he has worked.
His biggest issues of contention with the district revolved around the demands from the system, and keeping up with an ever-changing economic and educational climate, he said.
The Columbus City Council recently appointed Josie Shumake to the seat Lautzenhiser had held since 1991.
The announcement of another open board seat following board member Stephen Jones appointment to the city council occurred at the city council’s March 15 meeting, starting a 30-day advertisement period for people to apply for the that seat.
Lautzenhiser recommended that people who care about public education try their hand at becoming a school board member.
“I think that a school board member can influence things just about as much as any other position in the city,” he said. “It’s many, many hours (of work) and there are many things that come up that are never reported, but it’s a challenge and an opportunity…it can’t be anything but a labor of love.”
Sam Luvisi is news editor and covers education for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
