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Members of the Utah Board of Education selected a new and larger leadership team on Friday ahead of recently elected members being added to the body in January.

Incoming board members were included in the vote for leadership positions, which saw Mark Huntsman selected as chairman, Terryl Warner as vice chairwoman and Brittney Cummins as second vice chairwoman. A third vice-chair position was also created on Friday, with incoming board member Alisa Ellis selected to fill that position.

Huntsman, a Fillmore resident, said he was humbled to be selected and excited to serve as chairman. An immediate priority, he said, will be a review of how the school board can better facilitate communication with the public.

"These last couple of years we've been taking on a lot of challenges," he said. "A communication plan has been on the back burner, but I think it's time to move it forward."

Huntsman is the senior vice president of Sunrise Engineering. Before being elected to the state school board, he was a member of the Millard School District Board of Education.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to serve in this capacity," he said.

The leadership team elected Friday replaces board members David Crandall, David Thomas and Jennifer Johnson, all of whom will leave the school board this month. Utah's state school board has seen significant turnover during the last two election cycles. When new members are sworn in next month, the longest-serving will be Warner, who was appointed to fill a vacancy shortly before the 2014 election.

The 15-member board will also be composed mostly of women next year, moving from the current makeup of eight women and seven men to 11 women and four men.

Ellis, who has long been associated with Utah's anti-Common Core movement, said the board needs to build bridges with parents and teachers who feel neglected during policymaking.

"Parents, and often teachers, are the last people to feel communicated to," she said. "We need to change that and make sure they're not just given a seat at the table but are recognized for their primary role."

bwood@sltrib.com Twitter: @bjaminwood