HCS elects new Chair, Vice-Chair

The Henry County Board of Education held their organizational meeting for the New Year on January 6. Three board members were sworn-in, including a new board member Makenzie McDaniel, and the board elected the 2021 chair and vice-chair.

Board Member Swearing-In

District I member Dr. Pam Nutt and district III member Holly Cobb were re-elected to their positions on June 9, 2020. Nutt will be starting her seventh term on the board, while Cobb begins her second term representing her district. Voters elected Makenzie McDaniel to represent district II after a runoff election in August. This will be McDaniel’s first term on the board.

Each member was sworn-in by Henry County Probate Court Judge Kelly Powell. A small number of friends and family for each member being sworn-in were also on hand for the event.

Board member districts align with the county commission districts. Each member is elected to a four-year term by the voters of the geographic area they represent.

“We are excited to kickstart the terms of each of these exceptional board members with the first actions of the year for our Unified Governance Team,” said Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis. “Each member knows that there is great work to build on from 2020, and we are looking forward to meeting the needs of our students, staff, and families while providing an exceptional education during this pandemic.”

Board Chair and Vice-Chair

The BOE elects a new chair and vice-chair annually at their first meeting of the year. Board members elected Holly Cobb to the position of chair, and Annette Edwards to the position of vice-chair.

“I am thankful for the opportunity to serve my district, and I will work every day to make sure the needs of our students and staff are met,” said Cobb. “I am also grateful to my colleagues for the opportunity to serve in this leadership role as our work continues on the strategic plan and we lift our school district to even greater heights.”

The board of education will conduct their first Study Session and Business Session of 2021 on Monday, January 11. With the recent rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Henry County, all board meetings will be closed to the public until conditions allow for community members to view proceedings in person. Interested community members are still able to watch all board meetings via livestream on the district’s website.

The school district announced on Monday, January 4, that the start of the second semester would begin through remote learning. Students resume classes on Monday, January 11.

Credit for the featured image of board members to Henry County Schools. Portions of this article were copied from the school system’s press release.