PORT ANGELES — Bill Kindler, president of the Port Angeles Education Foundation and a retired mill manager, has been appointed to the Port Angeles School Board.

Kindler, 75, will be sworn in Feb. 8 to serve the remainder of former School Board member Susan Shotthafer’s term, which ends in December 2019.

“It’s a big job,” Kindler said in a Saturday interview. “It’s a hard job, but I have a real passion for education. It’s the kind of work I like to do.”

In addition to his current role with the education foundation, Kindler has served on the NatureBridge board and a Western Washington University advisory board.

“I’m very interested in education and the future of education, and I’m always anxious to do whatever I can to play a part,” Kindler said.

Shotthafer resigned from the five-member Port Angeles School District Board of Directors last November, citing differences she had with other members and bureaucratic influences on the education system.

Kindler was appointed as the Position 5 representative Thursday after the School Board interviewed four candidates.

The Feb. 8 school board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the district’s Central Services Building, 216 E. Fourth St.

Kindler said his passion for learning was enhanced in a chemistry class he took in college.

“It’s not overly dramatic to say it changed my life,” Kindler said.

Kindler went on to work in a chemical lab at a Camas paper mill before advancing into management positions at mills around the country, including the former Crown Zellerbach mill on Ediz Hook.

He is a 16-year resident of Port Angeles.

Kindler said financing will remain a “huge issue” for the Port Angeles School District in the coming years.

“One issue that really captivates me is preparing young people for the future world they’re going to be living in,” Kindler added.

“They’ve got to have decision-making skills and problem-solving skills. The world is changing so fast that the most successful kids are going to be the best learners.”

The nonprofit Port Angeles Education Foundation supports the school district and its students by awarding grants for special projects and proving financial assistance to students in need.

“The Ed foundation has been a really nice window into the district,” Kindler said.

“Every year, we’re blown away by the creative ideas that the teachers bring forward for $100, maybe $1,000. In some cases, it’s for the kinds of things that kids will take with them for the rest of their lives.”

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.