The Henry County Schools Board of Education held their swearing-in for its newest member, Jennifer Carter, on January 9, 2025. They also elected their 2025 board officers.
The board is comprised of five members representing five geographic districts of Henry County. The board selects a chair and vice-chair annually from amongst its members.
Henry County Schools Board Swearing-In 2025
The board has one new member coming on board in 2025. Jennifer Carter is the new district 3 representative succeeding Holly Cobb. District 3 represents the Ola and Union Grove areas.
Carter and her husband, Jake, own and operate Southern Belle Farm in McDonough. She is on the boards for Gigi’s House, a home for women involved in human trafficking, as well as A Friend’s House, a shelter for foster youth.
(Henry County Schools photo)
The board also swore-in re-elected members Pam Nutt and Makenzie McDaniel. Nutt and McDaniel represent districts 1 and 5, respectively. Nutt begins her eighth term on the school board, the longest-tenure board member in Henry County history. McDaniel is starting his second term.
Carter, Nutt and McDaniel will serve terms ending in December 2028.
Board Elects Chair and Vice-Chair 2025
Following the swearing-in, the board held a special called meeting to elect the 2025 officers. The board elected Sophe Pope, district 4 representative, to be chair. They also elected Annette Edwards, district 2, as vice-chair. Both board members reprise their roles from 2024.
Pope, a native of Henry County and a graduate and former teacher at Union Grove High School, has been a board member since 2019. She previously served one term as vice chair.
“I am deeply honored to once again be elected as chair and to serve this amazing community alongside this incredible governance team,” said Pope. “I look forward to continuing the vital work of educating Henry County’s children and fostering a supportive environment where our students can thrive and achieve their fullest potential.”
Edwards is a retired educator with 30 years of experience in the classroom. She has been a Henry County board member since 2015. Edwards served as vice chair for two terms starting in January 2021 then served as board chair in 2023, becoming the first African American woman to serve the school board in this capacity.
“I am truly humbled to have been re-elected as vice chair of Henry County Board of Education,” said Edwards. “I do not take this vote of confidence or role lightly; I am honored to continue working alongside the board to support policies and programs that ensure the success of our entire school district.”
Portions of this section reprinted from the Henry County Schools press release.
Board Members and Historical Photos
In the days before the swearing-in, community member Warren Holder shared a few historical newspaper clippings on Facebook. The Henry Reporter is sharing those photos here with permission.
Of note, Jennifer Carter is the third member of her family to serve on the Henry County school board. Jimmy Carter served 18 years, ending in 1996, and Holly Carter Cobb served eight years, 2017-2024.
All newspaper clippings courtesy of Warren Holder.
