Long-running Lake Michigan College Board Trustee Paul Bergan has been retired by the voters of Michigan’s Great Southwest after 24 years on that board. Bergan finished fourth in a three way race that had six contenders.
Bergan was turned back by challenger Vicki Burghdoff who beat him by a 1,975 vote margin in Tuesday’s election.
Voters in the community college district did, however, retain two other veteran board members Mary Jo Tomasini and Debra Johnson.
Here are the vote totals from the Berrien County tally:
- Mary Jo Tomasini – 31,369
- Debra Johnson – 28,404
- Vicki Burghdoff – 23,525
- Paul Bergan – 21,550
- James McGee – 17,435
- Phil Oretsky – 11,036
Burghdoff, who is 65 years old and from Coloma, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a masters in counseling and personnel. She previously served on a local workforce development board and is an experienced employment counselor. Her intended focus will be on affordable training programs leading to employment growth for Michigan’s Great Southwest.
