The Kennebunk Select Board, on Nov. 13, appointed Ashley O’Brien to a vacant seat on the RSU 21 board of directors.

The spot became vacant after Arianna Efstathiou became the third member of the school board to resign in four months, alongside Rachel Kennedy-Smith and Lesley Stoeffler. O’Brien takes over for Efstathiou, who resigned in October, and will serve as an interim director until the next municipal election in June.

RSU 21 includes the towns of Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.

O’Brien, of Kennebunk, is executive director of the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. She has a student in the RSU 21 school system and has experience in finance and strategic planning.

During the candidates night held by the Kennebunk Select Board to ask the candidates questions and vote on the position, O’Brien said she wanted the role because she, like her fellow candidates, she wants the school system to be the best it can be for the students. She also said that being a director on the school board means keeping an open mind to other’s viewpoints while not being afraid to defend your own.

“Being a good board member doesn’t mean having all the answers,” said O’Brien. “It’s about knowing the right questions to ask. It’s really just about listening, first and foremost.”

O’Brien said one of the board’s greatest weaknesses was communication and transparency. She highlighted strengthening the trust between the board and the rest of the community. She raised a concern about ensuring student retention in the state to further assist in the growth of Maine school systems.

O’Brien’s said her priority is to help ensure the students and the teachers of the district have the best experience possible. She also hopes she can encourage other parents to participate in similar ways, whether that be on a committee or by running for the school board.

“We have great kids in our town, and they really deserve the very best that we have to offer,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think that creating a good school system is just the responsibility of teachers and administrators, it’s a community effort and this is my way of doing my part.”