By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Two men and two women with varied educational and work backgrounds have filed applications as candidates for the un-expired term of Ronnie Abercrombie on the Hartselle Board of Education.
Abercrombie completed three years of a five-year term before he resigned, effective June 26. He served as board chairman for two years.
The process of filling the vacancy began after Abercrombie's resignation was accepted by the school board at a July 6 meeting. The deadline for applications was 4 p.m. July 22.
The candidates, each of whom will be interviewed in person by the city council at its next work session on Aug. 6, are Peggy Carden, a human resources manager, Darwin Vann Halbrooks, a real estate agent, Dr. James Joy, a local dentist, and Jennifer Sittason, a 1985 Hartselle High School graduate.
Dr. Joy, who was the first person to file an application, has prior experience on the board. He served for one and one-half years but failed in a bid to be appointed to a full term four years ago.
On his application he wrote: "Serving on the school board is a meaningful way for me to use some of my past experiences and education to show my appreciation for our community. I am living proof of what a good education can do for someone, and I would like to see that a good education always remains a viable opportunity for the students attending the Hartselle City School System."
Carden is a staff member of the North Central Alabama Mental Health Center and has a 13-year-old daughter attending school in Hartselle. She said her interest in the school system and work background qualify her as a candidate for the school board.
"I have 25 years of experience working with a voluntary board of directors," she pointed out. "I feel that I can offer a vast array of experiences and expertise in dealing fairly with employees and board members."
Halbrooks said his background in real estate will be helpful to the board when it is making decisions regarding the building of new schools as well as the upkeep and maintenance of existing facilities.
Sittason, a graduate of The University of Alabama with bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology and counseling, respectively, is the mother of four children who plays an active role in school and community affairs. She is a past president of the F. E. Burleson Elementary School PTO and serves on a committee whose aim is to restore the old Burleson School.
"I have a personal interest in our children's education and community," she said. "I would like the opportunity to help ensure that our schools maintain the high standards, accountability and success they have had through the years."