The Thomas County Board of Education held its first meeting of the new calendar year Tuesday night. After the invocation, outgoing chair Mark NeSmith declared the positions of chair and vice chair vacant and asked for nominations.
Board member Ken Harper made a motion that Leah Smith be elected chair and that Dan Stewart be elected vice chair. Chris Hayes seconded Harper’s motion. NeSmith called for any additional nominations. There were no additional nominations, so Smith and Stewart were elected to their respective roles with no dissenting votes.
Smith has been a member of the board since 2018, and this is her first time serving as chair. Smith is a registered nurse at the Thomasville Eye Center. She and her husband, Ben, have two children in the school system.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue representing Thomas County’s students, parents, and taxpayers with my re-election,” Smith said. “As the chair, I’m excited for all of the wonderful things this year holds for our school system. Working alongside Dr. Williams, vice chair Dan Stewart, the other board members, and our staff to channel your voices, I look forward to witnessing Thomas County’s successes.”