School Board Member
How long have you been serving on the Board?
I was elected in November 2014 and was sworn in and began serving at the December 9, 2014 board meeting. So, as of the last board meeting in November 2023, I have served for 10 full years.
What motivated you to run for the Board of Education? What motivates you to serve today?
I ran unsuccessfully for the Board of Education in the 2012 election cycle. At that time, I had recently completed my service on the Watauga Education Foundation. So, in a sense, my calendar was open and my passion for education in Watauga County remained strong. When someone asked me to run, it seemed like a way to continue to contribute.
Between that unsuccessful attempt and the following election, there had been a contentious book challenge and a difficult superintendent hiring. I was reluctant to re-enter the fray, but was asked by several people to try to “right the ship.”
It takes a while to learn the nuances of a complex, high-level position and to feel confident in one’s understanding of the myriad of details. I think this is often why people in leadership positions “re-up” for a second term. That was certainly the case with me. After the first term, I felt like I was finally really being productive. So I ran again in 2018, and was successful. In 2022, honestly, I was worried about some of the other candidates' viewpoints on topics important to me and so felt compelled to continue to offer my voice as an option for the voters of our county.
What is the most enjoyable part of working with your fellow Board members?
I’ve had the pleasure of serving with a consistent group of board members. In my 10 years, I’ve served with 9 other individuals that have demonstrated their commitment to the education of the children of Watauga County. I did not really know these persons well until we began to serve together, but I’ve grown to respect and admire them. We come from different backgrounds with different life experiences, but we come together in our work to make Watauga County Schools ever better. So, the most enjoyable part of working with them is the opportunity to work with them! Getting to learn how they think about an issue or approach a problem. I learn from them every time we are together.
Tell me about your career prior to your time on the Board and, if applicable, now.
I have been a Computer Science professor at App State since 1998, and have lived in Watauga County since 1995. I grew up in a small rural community in Maryland that reminds me in many ways of Watauga. But without the mountains. I attended the University of Maryland at College Park and did my graduate work at the University of Delaware. I finished my Ph.D. remotely from Boone because my wife, Cindy, began working at App State in 1995. She is also in the Computer Science department. Our three boys all went to Green Valley School where I was kind of a classroom parent and then began to serve on the school PTA. First as a “regular” member, then as treasurer and president. After my PTA service, I was nominated to the board of the Watauga Education Foundation. I served on that board for 7 years, including 2 as president. That experience helped me learn about all of the wonderful schools in Watauga.
Currently, I am the chairperson of the Computer Science department. My teaching interests lie in software engineering, web and mobile application development, and computer science education pedagogy and outreach. Interestingly, while I consider myself a teacher, college teaching is different from K-12 teaching. There are, of course, some common themes, but generally speaking, I’d say the differences outweigh the similarities.