Aberdeen School Board appoints Mardi Emard-Colburn to fill vacancy

Published 1:30 am Saturday, August 23, 2025

At a special meeting Wednesday evening, the Aberdeen School District Board of Directors appointed Mardi Emard-Colburn to fill the Position 3 vacancy created by Jessica Jurasin’s resignation in July.

Emard-Colburn, a “proud alumnus” of both Aberdeen High School and Grays Harbor College, and her husband have two daughters who attend Aberdeen schools. She holds bachelor degrees from Seattle Pacific University in music (vocal performance) and sociology.

Emard-Colburn told the school board that she discovered a passion for working with students as an undergrad resident advisor in college, which resulted in her decision to go on to earn a master’s of education degree in student development administration from Seattle University.

Professionally, she has worked as an academic advisor at both the community college and university levels. In recent years, she has devoted her time in support of her daughters’ education by volunteering in parent-teacher organizations, chaperoning, assisting in various choir and music productions at the schools, and other roles. She has also participated with her family in Grays Harbor College’s Opera Workshop and the newly created Coastline Chorale for the past six years.

“I strongly believe in the value of education and the importance of positive educational experiences as a tool to impact the lives of young people,” Emard-Colburn told the board, adding that it would be an honor to use her experience and passion “to be an effective listener and servant leader for the community that I have always loved and valued.”

The Board interviewed two applicants on Tuesday: Emard-Colburn and Jeanne Marll.

Emard-Colburn will be sworn in at the next regular meeting on Sept. 2. The position will be on the ballot in 2027. Marll just advanced to this November’s general election, along with Jeremy C. Wright, and will vie for Position 4 on the Aberdeen School Board.