THOMASVILLE- The Thomas County Board of Education held its first meeting of the new calendar year Tuesday night. After the invocation, outgoing chair Dan Stewart declared the positions of chair and vice chair vacant and asked for nominations.

Board member Ken Harper made a motion to elect Ed Hopper as chair and Leah Smith as vice chair. Chris Hayes seconded the motion. With no additional nominations, Hopper and Smith were elected unanimously.

Hopper, who represents District 7, is self-employed and a proud product of Thomas County Schools. His wife, Lauren Hopper, teaches at Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School.

“I am honored to serve as chair of the Thomas County Board of Education this year and continue to work with such a great system,” Hopper said. “A lot of great things are happening, and I’m proud to be part of it.”

Smith, a board member since 2018, is serving her second term as vice chair. She is a registered nurse at Thomasville Eye Center and is married to Ben Smith. They have two children: one, a junior at Thomas County Central High School, and the other, a Thomas County graduate.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue representing Thomas County’s students, parents, and taxpayers with my re-election,” Smith said. “As the vice chair, I’m excited for all of the wonderful things this year holds for our school system. Working alongside Dr. Williams, chair Ed Hopper, the other board members, and our staff to channel your voices, I look forward to playing my part in contributing to Thomas County’s successes.”

Newly elected board member Mitchell Herring was sworn in and attended his first meeting. Herring, who represents District 2, was elected in the fall to replace Mark NeSmith, who retired in December. Herring, also a product of Thomas County Schools, is self-employed and works for Seedway LLC as a Commercial Vegetable Seed Sales Representative covering Georgia and North Florida. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Kayce Smith Herring, and they have three daughters, including one currently attending Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School.

“Being a member of the Thomas County Board of Education is a tremendous honor and responsibility,” Herring said. “To become a part of such a fantastic team who I have watched make great advances for our school system in recent years is very humbling, and I could not be more excited for an opportunity to contribute.”

Herring shared that his deep family ties to Thomas County Schools and his experiences as a parent inspired him to serve on the board.

“My vision for the Thomas County School System is simple,” Mitchell added. “I want Thomas County to be revered in the state of Georgia. I want our schools to be the ones parents want their children to attend because we have the best educators, facilities, and opportunities to help their child excel and be well prepared for life when they graduate.”