Senate Shakeup: SGA Faces Turnover After President Currier Resigns, Senators Depart

Frostburg State University’s Student Government Association is facing a significant turnover after the resignation of President Katelyn Currier and the departure of several senators who served on the executive staff.

James Kirk, a sophomore who served as vice president under Currier, is now SGA president.

Currier, a senior, served as president during Fall 2015 after serving the 2014-15 academic year as vice president.

“I have made the decision to step down because I realized I was overly involved while being a full time student,” Currier wrote in an email to The Bottom Line. “This was a very difficult decision but was necessary for my well being. I will continue to pay attention to SGA throughout the school year and know President Kirk will finish the year strong in completing the yearly goals.”

“President Currier chose to step down to focus on other aspects of her campus involvement,” Kirk said. “She was a dedicated leader who left SGA in a great position moving forward.”

Kirk, a sophomore with a double major in political science and economics, joined SGA as a senator in his first semester, and he was promoted to treasurer in his second semester.

“Despite changes at a number of executive board positions, I feel incredibly confident about our current SGA senate,” Kirk said. “Our executive board remains full of hardworking individuals who are passionate about serving our organization. The Student Government Association is strong, unified, and dedicated to supporting Frostburg’s students and campus organizations.

Tori Glass, a senior who previously served as SGA’s finance chair, will now serve as vice president.

“Tori has been involved with SGA for years, and she brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the position,” Kirk said. “In her previous role she served as a dedicated chairperson of our finance committee, and she will continue to be a valuable asset to our organization.”

Currier’s resignation, along with the departure of several other SGA members, caused a shakeup on SGA’s executive staff.

Kristine Eskridge will replace Glass as the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Mia Williams has been promoted to Chair of the Student Affairs Committee, replacing Kennedy Decatur, who is no longer with the organization. The new executive board members were confirmed by the SGA Senate at their workshop last week.

Chanel Taylor, the former Chair of the SGA Governance Committee, transferred after the Fall semester and her replacement will be confirmed at SGA’s first general body meeting on Thursday, February 11. This is an open meeting and students are welcome to attend.

Despite the turnover, Kirk maintains SGA can meet its yearly goals, as well as adding more to the agenda.

“We want to work with Chartwells Dining and the Residence Life Office to address student concerns, expand our visibility on campus, and build new partnerships with the City of Frostburg. Ultimately, we want to do whatever we can to serve the student body and finish the work we started when we took office last spring.