Attorney vies for Lynchburg school board seat

Candidate profile

Gary Coates: A local attorney and area native, Coates said his experiences working in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court make him an asset to the board. Coates has two children, one who is a graduate of the division and one currently enrolled in city schools. He served as a substitute judge and special justice for the 24th Judicial Circuit and was the 2005 Lynchburg Legal Aid Pro-Bono award recipient.

 

The public hearing to solicit applicants and comments for school board vacancies yielded one additional candidate Tuesday.

Council also voted to further extend the application period until their meeting June 9.

Local attorney Gary Coates filed an application for District I. His was the only new name introduced during the brief hearing Tuesday.

There are currently nine people seeking a place on the school board. Pat Kost, City Council clerk, said civil engineer Robert Hopkins withdrew his application for the board.

Kost also said mortgage loan officer Ingrid Hamlett made her candidacy official by filing an application. During a public hearing on May 12, Hamlett was nominated. Prior to her nomination no one had applied for the District III vacancy.

Three board terms expire this year, including that of District III representative Leslie Faircloth. He is finishing his sec-ond term and decided not to seek renewal.

The term of Julie Doyle, board chairwoman, also expires and she is not eligible for renewal because she has served the maximum of three terms. Doyle represents District I, which has received five applicants. Board member Keith Anderson, who serves District II, also has an expiring term. That spot has received three applicants.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Coates spoke on his own behalf. He cited his experience in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court as an asset to the board and said it would help when working on the issues facing at-risk students. Coates also said he has business experience as head of his own law firm.

Officials said they plan to interview prospective board members on June 19. Council members did meet in closed session Tuesday to discuss school board candidates prior to the public hearing, just after the afternoon work session.

Other candidates:

District I

(Bedford Hills Elementary, Linkhorne Elementary, Paul Munro Elementary, Linkhorne Middle)

Bryan Tiller: A quality engineer for Tyco Electronics, Tiller also serves on the Miller Home for Girls board of directors. The city schools alumnus has previously applied for school board. He has a master’s degree in business administration from Liberty University, a master’s degree in professional studies and a bachelor’s degree in applied sciences from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Anne Alfieri: A homemaker, Alfieri has prior experience as a CPA. Of her three children, two are en-rolled in the city schools and she volunteers with the school division. Alfieri has previously served as PTO president at Bedford Hills and R.S. Payne elementary schools. She has also served as Friends of the Lynchburg Public Library treasury where she helped transition the organization’s financial services from an a manual to an automated system.

Charlie White: A local business owner and Lynchburg native, White is the co-founder of Wood & White Investment Advisors. He is an alumnus of E.C. Glass High School and the College of William & Mary. Last year he championed the proposal to bring Play It Smart, a program offering guidance and support to at-risk student athletes, to the city schools.

William Cabell: A recent graduate of the Lynchburg Citizens Academy, Cabell stated on his applica-tion he believes children should have an education enabling them to become productive citizens. Cabell is a retiree and said through the academy he learned a comprehensive overview of how government works in the city.

District II

(Dearington Elementary School for Innovation, Perrymont Elementary, Robert S. Payne Elementary, Sandusky Elementary, Thomas C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School for Innovation, Sandusky Middle E.C. Glass High)

Keith Anderson: A current Lynchburg School Board member, Anderson is in the final year of his first term. He is the director of the Office of Student Conduct at Liberty University and has previously served as an academic advisor in the distance learning program and dean of the Men’s Office at the university. He has one child attending city schools.

Joseph Catlett Jr.: A security specialist and karate instructor, Catlett has previously served on Lynchburg’s Youth Services Citizen Board. Catlett previously owned and operated the Catlett School of Karate/Combat, which was located on Fort Avenue. He has previously applied for school board and has a daughter enrolled in the division.

Carmela Greer: A program services manager at the Lynchburg Area Center for Independent Living, Greer said she wants to be on the board to be an advocate for students with special needs. Greer, who has two children in city schools, moved to Lynchburg to attend Liberty University and has resided here since. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

District III

(William Marvin Bass Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Hutcherson Early Learning Center, Sheffield Elementary, Heritage High)

Ingrid Hamlett: A mortgage loan officer at Blue Ridge Mortgage and division volunteer, Hamlett has two children who attend Heritage High School. She currently attends classes at Miller-Motte Technical College studying criminal justice and hopes to earn her associates degree. This fall Hamlett will serve as the Heritage Boosters president. She said she wants advocate for change and encourage more parents to be involved.