Bradley County Commission unanimously appoints Alan Smith to 7th District school-board seat

The Bradley County Commission voted unanimously on Dec. 16 to appoint F. Alan Smith to fill the unexpired 7th District seat on the Bradley County School Board. The appointment followed a brief nomination process at the county courthouse in Cleveland.

Chairperson Thomas L. Crye introduced three nominees for the vacancy left by Dr. Jeff Lovingood: Mickey Clark, identified in his letter as lead pastor at Crossroads Community Church; Peggy E. Hathcock, identified in her submission as a City of Cleveland business-tax official; and Alan F. Smith, identified as a community-bank private-equity advisor and consultant. Each candidate had resumes and letters entered into the record as attachments.

Commissioner B. Winters nominated Alan Smith for the seat. With no other nominations, commissioners cast a roll-call vote that was unanimous in favor of Smith. The minutes record the appointment with the notation that the vote was 14-0.

Smith’s application materials, filed with the commission, describe his background in banking and finance and his work as a part-time faculty member at Lee University; the materials state he has served on local boards and committees. In his cover letter he wrote that he is “eager to contribute my talents and proficiency in leadership” to the school board’s work (candidate submission recorded with the commission).

Resumes and letters from the three applicants are recorded as attachments to the commission minutes. The commission did not debate alternatives or hold a separate public hearing on the appointment. The county clerk’s minutes list the official roll-call vote and record Alan Smith as the appointee for the 7th District.

The commission’s action fills the board vacancy and allows the school board to proceed with representation for the 7th District; no effective date beyond the appointment was specified in the meeting record.