For the past few weeks, Jim Thorpe residents have been speculating over the identity of the JTASD's "mystery man," an unfamiliar name listed on the school board's recent literature. These concerned parties can rest assured knowing that this enigmatic figure is Mike Hartman, a local son returning to help sustain the academic structure that molded his own career.

"I grew up and lived in Jim Thorpe for a large part of my life," Hartman said. "I came back to the area because it's simply a great place to live."Hartman was appointed to the school board May 21 to fill the vacancy left by the late Robert Kovac. He was one of six candidates to apply for the position, including former board member Peter McGuire and Bill Allison, a retired principal from the Philadelphia area."Everyone (on the board) felt comfortable with Mr. Hartman," Randall Smith, Carbon County Administrator and school board member, said. "He lives in the school district, has children in the school district - which shows that he has a vested interest in the district - and has advanced his own education extensively."The board's newest member was driven to volunteer his services based on his strong personal convictions regarding education."I wanted to bring my passion for education back to the area," Hartman said. "I received a lot of encouragement during my schooling and I wanted to come back and make sure that same opportunity for quality education was available to today's students."This passion for education was sown during Hartman's days at Jim Thorpe Area High School, which he graduated from in 1994. After dual majoring in psychology and nursing at De Sales University, Hartman's quest for knowledge continued at Philadelphia's La Salle University, where he studied anesthesiology as a graduate student, and Chataham University in Pittsburgh, where he earned his doctorate in nursing. Currently, Hartman works for Lehigh Valley Anesthesia Services, a division of the Lehigh Valley Health Network.While Hartman is confident that his leadership experiences from both his academic and professional careers will aid him, he realizes that, as a new board member, he still has a lot to learn."As John F. Kennedy once said, 'leadership and learning are inseparable,'" he said. "Right now, I'm still in the learning faze of my position, building up the abilities I need to become a strong leader in the future."One thing working toward Hartman's advantage is the timing of his appointment. He's joining the school board during a time of much uncertainty, as the spectre of the state pension crisis looms over Harrisburg."I'm able to bring a young perspective on what's currently happening to the board," Hartman said. "Hopefully, my fresh opinions can become a strong force in unifying the board's efforts."Hartman admitted that one of his primary objectives for his tenure is integrating more technology into the school district, ensuring that it doesn't fall behind in the times."Jim Thorpe is already a very tech-savvy academic system, and I think that it's our fiscal responsibility to ensure that the latest advancements in education are available to our children," he said. "I also hope to integrate technology into the way the board disseminates information to the community, as the more info we have at our fingertips, the more efficiently we can run our operations."I don't know how well these ideas will be embraced initially, but they're a necessity," he said.Hartman promises that he'll look to actively engage the community members in the proceedings of the School Board."I'm willing to lend an open ear to the people of this community," he said. "I encourage people to provide their opinions as well as suggestions as to how to make the school district better for our students anywhere and at any time, not just during meetings."