NORWICH – Heather Collier says she is “looking forward to helping the (Norwich City School) district move forward.”

The Pharsalia native and former Perry Browne principal is the new president of the district’s Board of Education, following the board’s re-organizational meeting Tuesday night. Collier, herself a Norwich graduate, was voted into the position just moments after being sworn in to her first term on the school board. She was nominated to the leadership role by Sally Chirlin in a motion which was quickly seconded by Priscilla Johnson and passed 5 -1.

Perry Owen, who had nominated new board member Linda Horovitz for the position, cast the sole dissenting vote. Board member Joe Stagliano was not present at the meeting.

Collier’s first action as board president was to call for nominations for vice president. A motion made by Johnson and seconded by Horovitz to nominate Sally Chirlin for the position was also passed by a vote of 5 - 1, with Owen again casting the dissenting ballot.

Chirlin, a retired educator, is currently in her second term on the Norwich City School Board.