Returning Williamsburg-James City County School Board members Jim Kelly and Kyra Cook will lead a majority of first-time representatives as chairman and vice chairwoman for 2016.
Kelly, the Jamestown representative, and Cook, one of two appointed City of Williamsburg representatives, were chosen unanimously by the Board, which included four new members and returning Powhatan representative Joe Fuentes.
One of those new members, Jim Beers (Roberts) was voted in as parliamentarian for 2016.
With Fuentes’ impending departure from the Board on Jan. 15 – he announced his resignation in an email to the Board Dec. 21 – Kelly and Cook will be the only sitting members with more than a year of experience on the board.
Kelly, who served as vice chairman in 2014 and chairman in 2015, thanked board members for tapping him to lead for another year.
“It’s my distinct honor to serve on this board and it’s my privilege to serve as chair,” Kelly said. “We are privileged to serve a schools system as accomplished as WJCC.”
He emphasized the need to develop a budget that meets the needs of the school division, especially those of students and employees, while also keeping with the board’s strategic plan.
Cook was appointed to the board in 2014 and completed her first term last year. She thanked the members for their confidence in her and said she hoped to “earn it” as vice chairwoman.
