Nov. 14, 2014. Watauga County Board of Education Chair Dr. Lee Warren and Vice-Chair Delora Hodges were recognized for their service to education during their final meeting as Board members Monday night.
Warren has completed a total of 16 years of service as a member, vice-chair, and chair of the Board. Hodges served four years as a member and vice-chair. Their colleagues on the Board and Superintendent Dr. Scott Elliott praised the contributions Warren and Hodges made to the Board during their tenures.
In his remarks thanking Warren for his leadership, Elliott said that “through 16 years of great achievements and great challenges for our system, Dr. Warren has remained committed to serving students and advancing education in the Watauga County Schools. He has given us the best he has to offer and that has proven to be very good indeed…We are indebted to you for your service and we are grateful for all that you have done.”
Elliott’s comments for Hodges praised her as “a model of consistent excellence” in her time on the Board. “She is unexcelled in her commitment to putting students first and in her appreciation for the work of teachers and other school personnel on their behalf.”
Board Member Ron Henries told Warren and Hodges “you both have been the height of professionalism and leadership during your time on the Board.” Of Warren, Henries noted that “he’s serious when he needs to be and has a wicked sense of humor when it’s okay to show it.”
Board Members Barbara Kinsey and Brenda Reese also voiced their praise for the departing Board members. Reese said of Hodges that “she is our peacemaker, and she keeps us focused and organized.”
Warren responded by thanking and complementing his fellow Board members. “I could not have done this position without your help and that of other Board members with whom I have served. I want to thank all my fellow Board members from the bottom of my heart.” Warren also expressed his gratitude and respect for school system personnel, saying “I really appreciate the staff that we have, all the teachers, the principals and the central office and other personnel that make this a great system.”
Hodges said it was a bittersweet moment to leave the Board of Education. “It has been very fulfilling to work with such a great system,” she remarked. “I feel blessed to have been a part of this Board and to work for students.”
Both Warren and Hodges chose not to run for re-election this year. Warren noted that he will be teaching at the UNC School of Dentistry in “the southern part of heaven” (also known as Chapel Hill) beginning almost immediately.
Two new members will be joining the Board in December, Jason Cornett and Dr. Jay Fenwick. The three returning members of the Board of Education are Ron Henries, Barbara Kinsey, and Brenda Reese.
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