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Forsyth County Board elects officers, names liaisons and strategic focus areas
Summary
At a Jan. 7 special called meeting, the Forsyth County Board of Education unanimously elected Mike Valdez chair and West McCall vice chair, approved board liaisons tied to strategic-plan focus areas, and set a process for deeper member engagement with staff on plan implementation.
Mike Valdez was elected chair of the Forsyth County Board of Education and West McCall was elected vice chair during a special called meeting on Jan. 7, 2025. The board voted unanimously on both nominations.
The board also approved a set of member liaisons tied to the district's 2022–2027 strategic plan so individual board members can develop deeper familiarity with selected strategic focus areas. The appointments were unanimous.
Superintendent Young told the board the 2022–2027 strategic plan is at its midpoint and staff want board members to have “in‑depth discussions” with cabinet members and other district leaders about action plans for each strategic objective. The liaison assignments are informal and do not create standing committees, Young said; they are intended to let two board members at a time work more closely with staff on particular plan elements and then report back to the full board.
Under the assignments described at the meeting, Valdez will serve as the board's Forward Forsyth liaison (a steering committee organized by the Chamber of Commerce) and as the board's legislative liaison. McCall was named liaison for the Homeless Youth Council; Mr. Grimes was named liaison for the Youth Drug Council. Mrs. Hoyes was named the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) delegate and student attendance council liaison, and Mr. Eshherwood was named chamber of commerce liaison. The board approved those appointments by voice vote; members responded “unanimous.”
Board members said the informal liaison structure is intended to keep new board members informed so they do not first learn about major initiatives only in the weeks before a vote. The board signaled it will adjust assignments over time.
Near the end of the meeting the board voted unanimously to enter an executive session to hear a tribunal appeal and discuss personnel matters; the executive session vote was conducted by motion and voice vote.
Votes at a glance: agenda adoption (motion made and seconded; voice vote, unanimous); election of Mike Valdez as chair (motion, second, unanimous); election of West McCall as vice chair (motion, second, unanimous); approval of board liaison appointments (motion, second, unanimous); motion to enter executive session for a tribunal appeal and personnel (motion, second, unanimous).
