Five vie for Dale District school board seat on Nov. 7

When Dale District voters head to the polls next week, they will be asked to select a new school board member to represent their community. Five candidates are vying for the job including:

+ Jim Holland, a certified public accountant and adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College. He ran for supervisor in 1999 as a Democrat, but lost to Republican Kelly Miller. Holland is committed to improving communication between the school system and parents, encouraging lifelong learning and promoting safe, drug-free schools.

He received the endorsement of the Chesterfield Education Association.

+ Art Maxwell Jr., who is retired from the military after serving in both the Marines and Air Force. Maxwell and his wife own Open Door Realty, a residential and commercial real estate firm in the county. He has been critical of the decision-making process during previous school redistrictings and has questioned the location of Cosby High School.

+ Verena McCall, who is currently serving as interim school board member for the Dale District. She was appointed to fill the seat temporarily after former board member Beth Davis passed away last June. McCall is a portfolio administrator for Wachovia Securities and has an extensive track record with PTAs at the local, council, district and state levels. McCall intends to foster a safe, welcoming environment for students, teachers and parents at county schools and believes it's important to ensure equal access to educational resources.

+ Janet Stephens, who works as a history teacher with Richmond City Public Schools while also serving as a funeral director for Bliley Funeral Homes. From 2000-2004, Stephens was an executive secretary for the Virginia Department of Education. She is a strong supporter of English as a Second Language initiatives and the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

+ David Wyman, whose candidacy was endorsed by the Chesterfield Republican Committee. Wyman retired from his corporate finance career with Texas Instruments and Invensys in April and is now dedicated to spending time with his family and serving his community. Wyman supports offering competitive wages to attract the best teachers and making the best use of resources.

The winner of the Nov. 7 vote will serve a 12-month term. All school board seats will be up for election in November 2007.