By Tom Tolen/News@whmi.com


Andy Burchfield, who has held the reins as Brighton Board of Education president for the past four years, will be leaving his position at the end of the year.

Burchfield announced several months ago that he would not be running for another term on the Board of Education. He has led the board through calm waters and during contentious times, including recent months, in which the board and teachers’ union were stalemated over a yearly salary reopener in their contract well into the school year. That was ultimately settled with the two sides ratifying the agreement in late November.

Burchfield will conclude his current 4-year term on December 31st. He was initially elected to a partial, two-year term in 2014, and then ran for a full term two years later. During the last board meeting of the year on Dec. 14th, Burchfield remarked that as a Brighton native and Brighton Area Schools graduate, it had been a particularly enjoyable experience for him to be on the board and serve as its president.

A former board member who was recently elected to a new, four-year term had high praise for Burchfield. “Your professionalism sets the standard and sets a pretty high bar,” said John Conely, during the public comments portion of the virtual meeting. Conely said that the two occasionally had differences, but that they both respected each other’s viewpoint and their positions were always for the betterment of the district.

Board members, in turn, thanked Burchfield for his service and dedication to the district — as much behind the scenes in committee meetings as in public meetings. Unlike most other local governmental bodies, Board of Education members receive no compensation for their service.

Burchfield has a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and is employed as Director of Emergency Management at the University of Michigan. In addition to being board president, he is the liaison to Spencer Elementary School and the Southeastern Livingston County Recreation Authority (SELCRA). He and his wife Marcie have three children.