State school association honors local student, volunteer, board members in fall district
The Tennessee School Board Association recently honored a local Cheatham County student, Dickson County school volunteer and other area board members during its Mid Cumberland Fall District meeting at Centennial High School on Sept. 29.
Members of local boards of education and others participated in a survey during the meeting, expressing their opinions on several issues ahead of the impending 113th Tennessee General Assembly on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, at noon, according to a TSBA press release.
“TSBA's Fall District Meetings provide our staff the opportunity to speak with our members and listen to their concerns on multiple topics,” TSBA Executive Director Dr. Tammy Grissom said in an earlier statement.
“This allows us to advocate effectively on their behalf while providing them with information they need to make informed decisions for the students in their community.”
Each year TSBA honors one student and one school volunteer from each of its nine districts.
Cheatham County student Calli Copeland of Harpeth High School and Dickson County school volunteer Hazel Gentner were among those honored during the meeting.
As Harpeth High School’s Senior Class President and National Honors Society member, Copeland was chosen as this year’s 2022 Mid Cumberland District winner for her distinction in academics, community leadership and engagement as part of TSBA’s Student Recognition Award program.
Copeland serves as the Youth Ambassador for Special Olympics Tennessee and President of the Unified Club all while maintaining a 3.8 GPA.
As one of the nine student district winners, she will compete for the statewide Student Recognition Award and a $2,000 scholarship presented at the TSBA Annual Convention in November.
Awarded for her exceptional commitment to volunteerism in the local school district, Gentner was chosen as this year’s 2022 Mid Cumberland District Volunteer Recognition Award winner for exhibiting exemplary leadership, creativity, cooperation and hard work in service to Vanleer Elementary School.
Living over an hour away from the elementary school, Gentner would make several trips in a month to deliver items to the school and would eventually sponsor a county-wide food giveaway alongside her husband in partnership with The Dickson County Help Center and Second Harvest.
As one of the nine school volunteer district winners, she will compete for the statewide School Volunteer Recognition Award and a $1,000 grant to the school of her choice presented at the TSBA Annual Convention in November.
Several area board members earned TSBA Boardsmanship Awards during the Mid Cumberland Fall District meeting as well, including one from Dickson County, Sonya Brogdon.
Awards were presented to board members in recognition of their participation in board activities beyond the local level through commitment to training, participation in workshops and volunteer spirit.
Recipients achieved one of five levels of boardsmanship standards over the past year.
Awards for levels I-IV were presented at the Mid Cumberland Fall District meeting.
Level V Boardsmanship Award winners will be recognized at the TSBA Annual Convention in November.
TSBA awarded the following 2022 Mid Cumberland District board members:
LEVEL I
Herbert Nelson, Clarksville-Montgomery CountySonya Brogdon, Dickson CountyJoel Thacker, Lebanon SpecialShelia Bratton, Rutherford CountyClaire Maxwell, Rutherford CountySheila Cleveland, Williamson County
LEVEL II
Herbert Nelson, Clarksville-Montgomery CountyCharlie Patterson, Clarksville-Montgomery CountySonya Brogdon, Dickson CountyJeffrey Mathis, Houston CountyRenee Muha, Humphreys CountyJoel Thacker, Lebanon SpecialAmanda Moore, Murfreesboro
LEVEL III
Herbert Nelson, Clarksville-Montgomery CountyCharlie Patterson, Clarksville-Montgomery CountyJeffrey Mathis, Houston CountyRenee Muha, Humphreys CountyBecky, Goff Murfreesboro
LEVEL IV
Tammy Sharp, Rutherford County
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com or (615) 517-1285.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: State school association honors local student, volunteer, board members in fall district
