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Va. Beach School Board names lawyer to vacant seat
By Elisabeth Hulette, The Virginian-Pilot – 1/4/2012
VIRGINIA BEACH
The School Board picked Scott Seery to fill its vacant seat Tuesday night, ending a debate over diversity and whether a candidate previously rejected by voters should be reappointed to serve.
“He was the most qualified person for the job,” Chairman Dan Edwards said. Seery is an attorney, and there are no lawyers on the board, Edwards said.
Not everyone felt the same. The board’s vote was 7-3, with Todd Davidson, Dottie Holtz and Brent Mckenzie in opposition.
Seery, who is white, effectively replaces Sandra Smith-Jones, who left after accepting a job in Saudi Arabia. In December, the board moved at-large member Patrick Salyer into Smith-Jones’ Kempsville district seat, creating the at-large vacancy Seery will fill.
Smith-Jones was one of two African American board members, and the School Board quickly came under pressure to continue that diversity. The Virginia Beach Democratic Party and the NAACP recommended that a minority candidate be appointed.
Some board members wanted to do just that, while others said race did not need to be considered. Adding to the contention was Seery’s prior service on the board. He was appointed two years ago but lost his seat in the following election.
“Clearly, the community did not want him to represent them,” Mckenzie said before the vote.
Holtz agreed and said Seery was picked because he’s friends with board members.
“They felt he had experience, but no one has experience before they go on the board,” she said. “It was not a fair and open process.”
The other candidates were Leonard Tengco, an attorney, who is Filipino American; Mona Gunn, a retired school principal, who is African American; Sharon Felton, an administrative office specialist, who is African American; and Tim Crowley, a deputy director with Operation Blessing International, who is white.
Tuesday was the first time the board interviewed candidates in a public session. They answered questions about their priorities, their connections to lawmakers and what they would cut from the budget in this tight fiscal year.
Seery lives in Princess Anne and has served with various civic groups. He told the School Board that he would make decisions based on what’s best for students and said he planned to run in the next School Board election, regardless of whether he was appointed this week.
“I’m excited that the board chose me,” he said after the vote. “I know they’re in the beginning of the budget cycle.
“They have a huge deficit to overcome, and I’m excited to get started.”
Elisabeth Hulette, (757) 222-5097, elisabeth.hulette@pilotonline.com
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