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ST. LOUIS — A longtime board member for St. Louis Public Schools took a job in California two months before the end of her term.

Natalie Vowell is vice president of business development for the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp. She now lives north of Los Angeles in Valencia, according to the company’s .

“I still have all my love for St. Louis and Northwest Arkansas, but I’m excited to embrace a new community with a focus on economic growth, education, workforce development, and quality of life for all residents,� Vowell posted on her LinkedIn page.

Vowell was first elected to the SLPS board in 2017 and won a second term in 2021 that expires after the April 8 election. In December, Vowell announced that she would not seek a third term.

Vowell has been absent from most board meetings in 2025. The board’s vice president Matt Davis said Monday he did not know Vowell had moved.

“Career transitions are natural progressions, and timing isn’t always perfectly aligned,� Vowell said in a statement.

Vowell said she notified the board last month that she would attend meetings virtually for the remainder of her term. Of the four meetings held in February and March, Vowell was present virtually once.

Missouri law requires school board members to live in their districts. Local prosecutors and the state attorney general can remove elected officials over a residency change but have generally avoided thwarting the will of voters, according to the Missouri School Boards’ Association.

Fort Zumwalt School Board member Thomas Emmons moved to Florida in summer of 2021 and flew back for board meetings until his term expired the following April.

The job in California is not Vowell’s first foray outside of the state. From March 2023 to July 2024, Vowell served as executive director of the nonprofit PerspectAbility in Bentonville, Arkansas, according to her LinkedIn page. The nonprofit’s website features of Vowell at their tulip farm and fundraising events.

Between June 2022 and July 2024, Vowell also served as a commissioner for the Land Reutilization Authority of the St. Louis Development Corp.

Vowell has missed several key SLPS board votes in the past six months, including the firing of former Superintendent Keisha Scarlett and the promotion of her deputy Millicent Borishade to superintendent.

The leadership turnover sparked a comprehensive audit of SLPS from Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick that has been underway since August.

“I absolutely support and will assist with any ongoing and future audits or investigations into the District and/or current Board of Education,� Vowell said in her statement Monday. “I can only hope operations and governance practices continue to improve based on these findings and recommendations.�

When she is present, Vowell has abstained from many votes, including the approval of meeting minutes.

“Typically, I abstain because I don’t have sufficient information to make an aye/nay decision in good conscience, or the information wasn’t furnished with sufficient time to review it thoroughly prior to a vote,� Vowell said on Facebook last year.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a statement from Natalie Vowell.