Two people were appointed to fill vacancies on the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School Committee, created by the resignation of Fred Underhill and the death of former Chair Augusto Costa.

The Old Colony appointing authority, which is comprised of Selectmen, the Rochester Memorial School Committee and Town Moderator Greenwood Hartley III, unanimously approved Michael Gagliardi and David Hughes for the positions.

Gagliardi will finish Underhill’s term, set to expire April 30, 2014. Hughes will fill in for Costa’s term, which expires April 30, 2016.

Gagliardi has had a long career at New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, and is currently the career and technical education principal there.

“I’ve spent the last thirty-four years in vocational education. This is my last year at Greater New Bedford Technical and I’d like to give back in a way that best serves my town,” Gagliardi said.

Hughes noted taking over for Costa, a long-time and well-respected committee member, will not be easy.

“I want to thank the board for the opportunity to fill Mr. Costa’s shoes…I hope the town trusts me to do what I have to do, to carry on what Mr. Costa had in mind,” Hughes said.

Now retired, Hughes has served the town in a number of ways through the years having been a Selectman, planning board member, finance committee member, and town constable.

Hughes is a graduate of New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School. His professional background is in steam engineering.