Caldwell County School Board Chairman Pennell Elected to State Office

LENOIR, NC (January 5, 2021) — School Board Chairman Darrell Pennell has been elected vice president of the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) governing Board of Directors. The newly elected slate of officers was presented at the NCSBA Annual Conference: president, Amy Churchill from Buncombe County; president-elect Lucy Edwards, Northampton County; vice president Darrell Pennell; and treasurer Jennifer Thompson, from Cherokee Central Schools. Officers will serve a one-year term.

“I am honored to have received this position,” Pennell said. “I think it is a positive thing to have representation from Caldwell County, and it will help others from across the state realize the excellent school system we have here.”

Pennell, a school board member for more than 10 years, has served as chairman since 2011.

Other NCSBA members elected included a second two-year term on the NCSBA Board of Directors for Patricia Burden, Wayne County; Mac Hodges, Beaufort County; and Dub Potts, Davie County.

Members elected to serve a first two-year term on the NCSBA Board of Directors are Margaret Bradsher, Person County; Ben Cooke, Mount Airy City; Worley Edwards, Columbus County; Allison Gant, Alamance-Burlington; and Charles McKellar, Cumberland County.

The board of directors establishes the mission and goals for the association and ensures that NCSBA activities and programs remain focused on these goals. In addition, the officers and directors are the personal communications link between their regions and the association.

About NCSBA

NCSBA was established in 1937 as an advocate for public school education. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership association that represents all 115 local boards of education in the state and the Board of Education of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. NCSBA’s mission is to provide leadership and services that enable local boards of education to govern effectively.

About the Caldwell County Board of Education

The non-partisan board is elected at-large. Board members serve for four-year terms and their terms are staggered in elections that are held every two years. Board members’ primary responsibilities include approval of school policies, budget, and personnel and they serve as advocates for public education.