The Monday night vote was unanimous among the seven councilors present. King accepted the job Tuesday.
A 25-year veteran of education in Massachusetts and New York, King worked for more than five years in the North Adams Public Schools system, where she helped start the E3 Academy.
When she worked for North Adams Public Schools, Cathleen King helped develop curriculum for the E3 Academy. COURTESY OF THE EPSTEIN HILLEL SCHOOL
Despite her lack of municipal experience, King pointed to her work with a broad spectrum of parents and teachers as proof that she could handle interactions with the public and successfully tackle the âlearning curveâ of the job.
King was a founder of the high school s alternative education program, the E3 Academy, in 2012. She s spent the last few years in Salem when her husband took a position of Salem State University. We are just trying to work our way back to getting to the North Adams area, we have a home in Clarksburg. And I was interested in the position because I have had a great interest in North Adams ever since I came to the area, she said. The people there have always been exceptionally friendly. I ve always participated in the social events and things. I just think there s a wonderful vibe there.