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Board approves three community advisors to DeKalb audit committee after limited applicant pool
Summary
The DeKalb County Board of Education voted to appoint three non‑voting community advisors to its audit committee after a small applicant pool; two board members opposed the appointments citing concerns about geographic diversity and outreach.
The DeKalb County Board of Education on May 1 approved three non‑voting community advisors to join the audit committee.
Nick Thibodeaux, DeKalb’s chief internal auditor, and Audit Committee Vice Chair explained the district received five applicants for the advisory slots and presented three finalists for board approval. The board voted to seat Kathy Ipanis, Tambria Peoples and James Williams as community advisors; the motion passed with the majority but recorded two opposing votes.
Why it matters: The audit committee provides independent review of the district’s financial controls, audit results and internal‑control policies. Community advisors are intended to bring external expertise and public perspective to committee deliberations without voting authority.
Board discussion: Several board members said the committee needs a broader outreach strategy so applicants reflect the county’s geography and diverse expertise. Audit leaders said the committee used a rubric to score applicants by experience and recommended repeated future recruitment efforts to improve geographic representation. One board member suggested maintaining a short waiting list or alternate pool to fill future vacancies.
What’s next: The chosen advisors will be added to the audit committee roster and attend committee meetings as non‑voting advisors. The committee and audit staff agreed to refine outreach and recruitment steps ahead of the next appointment cycle.
