Hassan Beydoun
By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — Hassan Beydoun, of Dearborn Heights was unanimously appointed to the Crestwood School District Board of Education, filling a vacancy left by former Trustee Ed Garcia.
Beydoun will serve the remainder of Garcia’s term through Dec. 31, 2022
A special meeting was held Nov. 15 where Beydoun was interviewed by the board before the recommendation to fill the seat was made and an oath of office was administered.
Since Beydoun was the only candidate who applied for the open position, the interview and appointment was adjusted to take place at the same meeting.
Beydoun works as a global commodity manager for General Motors Corp. According to his LinkedIn account, he has a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications from the University of Michigan.
He said he moved into the school district about 12 years ago and has three children who are students in the district.
Beydoun said he spent five years volunteering as football coach at Riverside Middle School and Crestwood High School and another five years as an official coach on the Crestwood varsity football team.
When asked during the interview portion of the special meeting what the role of a board member is, Beydoun said it’s more than a role, it’s being part of the fabric of this community.
“I think we can — we need to be open-minded because there’ll be a lot of opinions coming your way,” he said. “There’ll be a lot of different scenarios where people want to run by you, and I think the most important thing is remembering why you’re a part of the school board and putting the kids first.”
The Oct. 25 resignation of Garcia left the vacancy and the need for a new board member. A reason for his resignation was not given when Trustee Nadia Berry made the announcement.
Garcia served as treasurer and was first elected to the board in 2004. During his almost three-month absence, Trustee Sue Kaminsky had been conducting treasurer duties.
To watch the special meeting go to the district’s YouTube page.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at zeinabnajm92@gmail.com.)