The Prince Edward County School Board voted Hampden District Representative Beulah Womack as chairwoman and Leigh District Representative Dr. Timothy W. Corbett Sr. as vice chair for 2018 at the Jan. 10 board meeting. Womack is the first African-American woman to serve in the role of school board chairperson in Prince Edward County.

“I am pleased with the school board, with the newly-appointed board as well as with the newly-elect board,” Womack said. “I think they are vision-focused and I am pleased that we are willing to work with the superintendent to make sure that our kids are competent and that they not only pass the SOLs so they can be successful as they move to universities, colleges and become employed within the community.”

She said she wanted to continue to work with the community and parents as partners.

“We’re going to set some new goals sometime this year,” Womack said. “So I’m looking forward to that. I think the board is articulate and bright, and they are focused on children.”

Womack was appointed to the board four years ago. She said prior to her appointment she’d served on the school board in Plainfield, New Jersey, for 25 years and served as president of that board — the equivalent of chairperson — many times during her tenure. She’s also served as president of the New Jersey School Board Association.

The Jan. 10 meeting was also the first time newly-elected school board members took their seats, with the exception of the board orientation in December, following the first-ever election for the division’s school board.

Farmville District Representative Cainan D. Townsend, Buffalo District Representative Lucy B. Carson and Prospect District Representative Elzora G. Stiff took over for former school board members Sherry Honeycutt, Dr. Wilkie Chaffin and Darin Thomas, who represented the districts, respectively. Previously-appointed Corbett also joins the first elected members of the school board. Honeycutt previously served as chairwoman.

Townsend is the director of education and public programs at the Robert Russa Moton Museum. Carson is a former principal of Prince Edward County Middle School. Stiff is a former R.R. Moton High School student and has been a teacher at Prince Edward County High School. She has 48 years of experience in education spread across the roles of teacher, administrator, staff developer, program coordinator and curriculum developer.