Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has named his five designees to the Norris-Todd Planning Commission that will serve in an advisory status to the newly constituted all-county school board as the merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools proceeds.
The designees are Christine P. Richards, executive vice president of FedEx; John Smarrelli, president of Christian Brothers University; Barbara Roseborough, associate vice president for Academic Affairs at Southwest Tennessee Community College; Jim Boyd, president of Bridges USA; and Louis Padgett, principal of Northaven Elemengary School.
Luttrell’s announcement, in the wake of five members named last week by the Memphis City Schools board, brings the total named so far to 10. David Pickler, president of the Shelby Coungty Schools Board, has received a list of prospective nominees from each of his colleages on the SCS Board, and has said that, in conjunction with the Boad, will name the five appointees allotted to SCS next Thursday at a special Board meeting.
Three additional voting members will be named by Governor Bill Haslam, Senate Speaker and Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey, and House Speaker Beth Harwell, each of whom will make one appointment each. The full complement of the 21-member Board will be filled out by Luttrell, Pickler, and MCS Board president Martavius Jones, who will be ex-officio, non-voting members.
The Luttrell press release announcing the mayor’s appointments is as follows:
Mayor Chooses Members for School Transition Team
Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr., has chosen his five representatives to serve on the transition team for the merger of Memphis and Shelby County School Systems.
“These people have unique abilities and share the common commitment to put the interests of school children first. They represent an excellent cross-section of our community,” said Mayor Luttrell.
The transition team members are:
Christine P. Richards-Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
FedEx Corporation-Ms. Richards is responsible for ensuring the corporation’s global activities are in compliance with international, federal, state and local government regulations, and handles international and domestic legal, security and government affairs for all FedEx operating companies and subsidiaries. Born in Amityville, N.Y., Richards earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University and her Juris Doctorate from Duke University.John Smarrelli, Jr., Ph.D-President, Christian Brothers University-During the past 25 years, Dr. John Smarrelli has also served in senior administrative positions at Loyola University in Chicago, IL and Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. He earned his Doctorate and Masters’ degrees from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and has conducted postdoctoral work in biology at the University of Virginia.
Barbara Roseborough-Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs
Southwest Tennessee Community College-With more than 20 years of educational service at Southwest, she has also served as Associate Professor of English, Department Chair for the Fine Arts, Languages and Literature Department, and Dean of Liberal Studies and Education. Ms. Roseborough holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from LeMoyne-Owen College, a Masters of English from Atlanta University, and a second Masters plus 45 hours of additional studies in Education from the University of Memphis.
Jim Boyd, President-Bridges USA-Jim Boyd is President/CEO of BRIDGES, USA, an organization dedicated to racial, economic, educational and environmental justice. An ordained Episcopal priest, he served local Episcopal churches by helping to establish the emergency assistance fund at MIFA and SMART (St. Mary’s Manassas Alabama Redevelopment Team) at St. Mary‘s Episcopal Cathedral. He also has served parishes in North Carolina and Oregon. Boyd received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from Vanderbilt University and a Masters of Divinity from Intermet Seminary, in Washington, D.C.Louis Padgett, III-Principal, Northaven Elementary School-Mr. Padgett is a 24-year employee of the Shelby County School System, and is starting his seventh year as principal of Northaven Elementary School. Padgett received his undergraduate degree in Health and Physical Education from Rust College and earned a Master’s degree in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Memphis.
The transition team candidates will be submitted to the Shelby County Commission for consideration at next week’s meeting.
