A Slatington woman has been chosen to fill an open seat on Northern Lehigh School Board.

On a 6-1 vote, the school board at a special meeting on Tuesday appointed Natalie Snyder as its newest member.

Director Gary Fedorcha was opposed. Director Gale Husack was absent.

Snyder was one of two candidates. The other was Alice Wanamaker.

Superintendent Matthew J. Link posed the same three questions to each of the candidates: Why they are interested in being on the school board; what they feel they can offer the school board; and what they feel is the biggest challenge of education right now.

Following their responses, the board opened it up for nominations.

Director Chad Christman nominated Snyder to fill the vacancy.

Fedorcha nominated Wanamaker.

After a roll-call vote, the board selected Snyder.

Snyder said she was happy for the appointment.

“I want to help to make a difference in the community,” Snyder said.

Snyder will serve until December. To serve beyond then, she must run in the municipal election.

She replaces former Director Michelle Heckman, who resigned effective Feb. 6.

Heckman said in her resignation letter that her professional and personnel commitments were preventing her from giving the position the attention it deserves.

This marked the second time in several months the board had a vacancy to address.

In September, the board on a 6-2 vote appointed retired district co-director of business affairs Rhonda Frantz to fill a then vacant seat on the board.

Frantz was one of four candidates listed on the agenda to be interviewed.

The other candidates at that time were Lauren Ganser, Justin Jachowicz and Snyder.

Before that vote, Green said Ganser dropped out.

In August, the school board on a 7-0 vote accepted the resignation of Robert Keegan Jr., effective Aug. 15.

In his resignation letter, Keegan said he resigned so that he could spend more time with his family.

Keegan had been a board member since 2014.

Frantz will serve until December. If she wants to continue serving, she must run in the municipal election.