ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Education met on Dec. 3 for its annual reorganizational meeting where a new chairperson and vice chairperson were chosen for the 2025 calendar year.
The meeting began with one incoming school board member and four current members being sworn in for a new four-year term set to expire in December 2026.
Following their unopposed races on Nov. 5, Meghan Almond (At-Large) was officially to the board, while Bill Sorenson (District 2), Glenda Gibson (District 3), Vicky Watson (District 4), and Carla Poplin (District 5) each began another term.
Board Member Robin Whittaker will serve as the new board chair, while Board Member Dustin Lisk will serve as vice chair. Those positions were previously held by Poplin and Gibson, respectively.
Whittaker received a chair nomination from Gibson, and a 7-0 vote in favor of her nomination soon followed.
“I just want to thank the board for the opportunity to be able to serve as chair,” Whittaker said. “I’ve never served on the board as chair before, so it’s a new experience for me and I’m looking forward to it. I think we have an awesome board sitting here. We have really pushed this past year, especially in facilities, to get things done.”
She reflected on what she had learned in her two previous terms on the school board, citing her first term in the 1990s when the board had two female members for the first time.
“I’m looking forward to the year ahead,” Whittaker continued. “Our mission is clear — it’s that we are here to ensure that every student receives the highest quality education. We also need to make sure that they are in safe and up-to-date facilities, so I just encourage this board to keep pushing forward.”
After the chair election, Lisk received a vice chair nomination from Watson ahead of his unanimous vote.
“Thank you to the board for giving us a shot at leadership,’ Lisk said. “I think one of the good things about this board is we work really well together. Everybody gets a chance to serve. Everyone gets a chance to lead, and we’re all elected by the people of the county. We all try to come to a decision that helps move us forward.”
In October 2021, the Stanly County GOP’s executive committee nominated and appointed Lisk to fill a vacancy left by former Chairman Jeff Chance on the school board for a seat that was active until December 2022.
Lisk subsequently won his reelection bid against Almond to begin a full four-year term that runs through 2026.
The Stanly County Board of Education is scheduled to hold its next regular meeting on Jan. 7, 2025, at 6:15 p.m. inside the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.