Amy Kalar Appointed to St. Anthony-New Brighton School Board

At its March 24 meeting, the St. Anthony-New Brighton School Board appointed Amy Kalar to fill the vacant school board seat, following the resignation of Laurel Hood. The board used an application and scoring process to guide the appointment. A total of six applicants were considered. To ensure fairness, applications were redacted of personal information and evaluated using a standardized rubric. 

Parent and community member Amy Kalar will bring previous board governance and leadership experience to the role. Kalar served as President and Board Chair of the Minnesota Architectural Foundation and as President and Board Chair of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minnesota. Throughout her architectural career, Kalar has advocated for gender equity in architecture to advance diversity and inclusion in the profession.

In her application Kalar said, “My commitment is to ensure people feel heard while keeping our focus on what matters most: the success and well-being of our students. When we ground our decisions in our shared values and communicate openly about how those decisions are made, we can move forward together as a community.”

In accordance with Minnesota statute, the appointed board member may assume office 30 days after the date of appointment, with service expected to begin in early May 2026. Kalar will serve the remainder of the term, which expires on December 31, 2027.