The Highline School Board voted to appoint Chung (Joe) Van of SeaTac to the Director District 3 position during a special meeting on April 15.

He participated in his first School Board meeting as a board member directly following his oath of office and the special meeting.

"Joe has an extremely strong record of involvement in the SeaTac community, and we are excited that he will now be contributing to the entire district," said School Board President Bernie Dorsey.

Van is a 1995 graduate of Tyee High School and holds an AA in Administration of Justice from Highline Community College. He and his wife Leslee, also a Tyee graduate, have three children attending McMicken Heights Elementary.

His children, Carter, Kyra, and Ethan, led the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the April 15 School Board meeting.

"I am grateful for this opportunity to serve," said Van. "I consider all the kids in our schools my kids."

Van is employed as a supervisor at Owens & Minor medical supply distribution center in Sumner. He serves on the City of SeaTac Human Services Advisory Committee and is active in a number of civic activities. He speaks fluent Vietnamese.

Van will serve in the position until the end of 2015. The position will be up for election on the November 2015 ballot.

The position became open after Board Member Susan Goding retired in February.