By DANIEL HERATY
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS – A longtime Crestwood school board member is stepping down.
Janey Golani, who has been on the Crestwood School District Board of Education since 2002, announced her resignation at the board’s May 23 meeting. It will be effective June 4.
“She served the district well in her tenure,” Crestwood District Supt. Laurine VanValkenburg said. “She’s been a volunteer in the district for years.”
The district, according to the School Code of the state of Michigan, has 30 days from the date of resignation to fill the position.
Candidates for the vacant position have until Wednesday to submit a letter of interest, which will be heard at a special meeting of the board set for the same day.
The candidates will be called for interviews on June 20, and the final decision will be made at the regular meeting June 27 at Crestwood High School, 1501 Beech Daly.
Golani, who has volunteered in the district’s Parent Teacher Organizations and at various school functions for 22 years, said that she has no regrets about her tenure.
“Everything we’ve looked to accomplish we’ve accomplished collectively,” she said. “We’ve done wonderful things.”
She added that her resignation had nothing to do with her upcoming civil trial against her former employers, International Outdoor, Inc. and Transit Advertising Group. She is accused of embezzling more than $700,000 from both companies.
VanValkenburg said that the resignation has been coming for some time.
“It wasn’t a surprise,” she said. “She’s been saying for some time that when her son graduated that she would be resigning.”
One of Golani’s two children, an 18-year-old senior at Crestwood High School, graduated this year.
Golani’s term was set to expire in 2013. She said she is looking forward to spending time with her son, who will be wrestling in Alabama.
(Daniel Heraty can be reached at [email protected].)