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"We're in the business of students and we should not ever, ever lose sight of that." That was the sentiment left by outgoing board member Tianna Cervantez who made her final comments as a member of Galesburg CUSD #205 on Monday night. In a special meeting prior to the start of the Regular May meeting, she was honored for her service on the board, including her time as the board president. She said that when she was elected in 2015, she came in with a few goals. "Make sure we were being responsible to our taxpayers. Making sure the students were the focus. And, making sure that our teachers, administrators, and staff felt appreciated." Cervantez said that when she was seated, she found the situation was much worse than what had been shared. From the district operating on deficit spending to the upkeep of the facilities being ignored, she was part of a board that made some very difficult decisions. However, in her time on the board, the district has turned things around. The district is now operating in the black with newly renovated buildings and providing an environment that is, as she put it, "ready to educate for the 21st century." Board members took time to thank her for her service to the board and calling her institutional memory valuable. Superintendent John Asplund, who was hired in 2017 when Cervantez was board president, thanked her for her service, saying that she led the district through a tremendous amount of change. "I was not here in 2015 and [2016], but having led another district through a financial retrenchment process, we are here – literally here, because Tianna, Jen Hamm, and Ralph Grimm, and that board had to be super unpopular for quite a bit of time. My dissertation is on organizational decision making and typically organizations make decisions to protect the people inside of the organization and not necessarily to do the right thing. It's very rare that organizations will step outside themselves and think long-term. I want to say thank you as someone who only got to benefit from the really uncomfortable things that had to be done in 2015/16." After the final comments were made, the new board was seated, oaths of office were made, and new leadership was elected. Board member Pamella Bess-Tabb nominated Rodriguez, who was elected board president by a 4-3 vote over Rod Scherpe. Bess-Tabb was nominated for Vice President and was elected to the position when no other nominee was made. Maury Lyon was nominated and re-elected as Board Secretary in the same way.