School Board annual organization meeting held; Board chair and vice chair elected

 

The Hampton School Board held its annual organization meeting on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at Jones Magnet Middle School.

 

As a part of the procedural activities of the meeting, the School Board elects one of its members as chairman and one member as vice chairman. Ann Cherry was elected to serve as chair as well as Dr. Richard Mason to serve as vice chair. Cherry is presently serving her second year of her second term on the Board. Mason is serving his fourth year of his first term. Cherry and Mason will serve in these roles until the next School Board organization meeting in January 2022. The month of the organization meeting is being changed due to an anticipated change in the local election of School Board members.

 

Jason Samuels nominated Cherry saying, “Ms. Cherry has served in that capacity previously and holds approximately 17 years as the PR person for Hampton City Schools and I firmly believe with us moving post-COVID we need a leader who has served with previous experience as chair and also internal operations and experience as former Hampton City Schools staff.”

 

Cherry, retired executive director of public relations & marketing for Hampton City Schools, holds a bachelor’s in business administration from West Virginia State University and a master’s in public administration from Golden Gate University. She is active in the Citizens Policy Advisory Board, the Hampton Branch NAACP, and First Baptist Church, E.E.

 

Tina Banks-Gray nominated Mason saying, “Working with Dr. Mason on the School Board and in the community, his skillful knowledge of mental health speaks for itself as an accomplished mental health provider. I know he will continue to bring added benefit to the social and emotional arena for Hampton City Schools and through his can-do innovative leadership I know he will continue to support our division with a cutting edge approach.”

 

Mason is an associate professor at Hampton University, a licensed professional counselor, and a certified clinical mental health counselor. He has a bachelors and masters degree from Hampton University, an Ed.S. from the College of William & Mary, and a Ph.D. from Regent University.

 

In addition to electing the chair and vice chair, the Board set their meeting calendar through January 19, 2022, and appointed Carolyn Bowers as clerk of the School Board and Sally Seidnitzer as deputy clerk. The Board took action on other items including the appointment of Kellie Goral as the Freedom of Information (FOIA) officer, approval of the sole source resolution, and the appointment of Deputy Superintendent Dr. John Caggiano as the superintendent’s designee to represent the superintendent in his absence. 

 

Muhammed Al Saffar and Tamia Kelly, both juniors at Hampton High School, were appointed and sworn in as the Board’s student representatives for the 2021-2022 school year.

 

The Board also adopted the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Code of Conduct for School Board Members. 
You may visit our website at http://www.hampton.k12.va.us to access the meeting.