Hutchins gets additional appointment

The Virginia School Board Association appointed Culpeper County School Board Chairwoman Elizabeth Hutchins as its regional Central Virginia chairwoman Friday in Williamsburg.

"I am honored to have been selected to represent the 11 school systems in the VSBA Central Virginia Region," Hutchins wrote via e-mail Tuesday. "This will be an exciting opportunity to work for our children and to continue to improve and support public education."

The 11 counties include: Culpeper, Madison, Orange, Rappahannock, Albemarle, Buckingham, Charlottesville City, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson.

In August, the CCPS board voted to nominate Hutchins for the voluntary position.

Hutchins said her duties would be to represent the Central Virginia region on the VSBA State Board of directors, preside over the spring regional forum in Charlottesville in March and the fall regional meeting at the VSBA convention next November.

Her first meeting - of the one-year term - is scheduled Nov. 30 at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville. Hutchins officially began serving last Saturday.

The VSBA is a voluntary, independent organization whose primary focus is the "advancement of education through the unique American tradition of local citizen control of, and accountability for, the commonwealth's public schools," according to its Web site.

"It will allow me to connect with other regions of the state to see how they have addressed issues and concerns they face in their school systems," she added. "In sharing what I learn with our Culpeper School Board, I hope it will assist us in making better decisions for our children."

The VSBA represents 134 schools boards statewide.
Gina Patterson, VSBA assistant executive director, said Hutchins ran unopposed.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .

Virginia School Board Association

President: Laura Hall, (Smyth County)

President-elect: Stuart D. Gibson (Fairfax County)

Past president: Eddie H. Ryder (Bath County)

At-large members:
Pricilla B. Goodfrey (Loudoun County); Raymond E. Kohl (Galax City); Kerri Wilson (Harrisonburg City);
Lillian Wright (Norfolk City)

Regional chairs:
Karen Gerlach (Radford City) Blue Ridge; Elizabeth Huchins (Culpeper County) Central; Mary Gaskins (Essex County) Eastern;
Joan Wodiska (Falls Church City) Northeastern; Joy Wright (Bedford County) Southern; Joan Mimms (Richmond City) Southside;
Wynn Combs (Grayson County) Southwest; Shelia Hill-Russ (Chesapeake City) Tidewater; Steve Baldridge (Buena Vista City) Valley

Source: VSBA