New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 28, 2024

McBeath receives nod to serve as interim District 5 representative on New Kent’s School Board

By Andre Jones | June 7, 2021 10:15 pm

New Kent’s School Board has appointed Molly McBeath as the interim District 5 representative.

The decision was made at Monday night’s regular school board meeting. McBeath will replace the late Dr. Gail Hardinge in representing District 5.

McBeath was among six candidates vying to be appointed to the vacancy. After being selected as a finalist along with Thomas Miller, Miller conceded to McBeath, saying that she would make a great representative for District 5 on the county’s school board. It only took the remaining board members 40 minutes to make the appointment, with McBeath’s term officially beginning June 14.

McBeath spoke about her reasoning for applying to the District 5 school board seat.

“There were a couple reasons with the first reason that I wanted to give back to the community,” she said during an interview after the meeting. “I raised two daughters and was often involved in their schooling.

“I enjoyed being part of the school community as a parent and now I believe that I was at the point where I could leverage my experience and passion into a larger role,” McBeath added.

With 30 years in the business industry, specializing in leading teams in the vision and strategic areas, the newest member is hoping that her experience interacting with all will benefit the school system.

“I want to know what’s important to my constituents,” McBeath commented. “I want to know what’s important to them.

“Already, they were telling me that the kids needed to be in the school,” she added. “That’s the message they delivered first and foremost to me. I want to represent my district well.”

As far as expectations, McBeath believes that her connectivity to others will be an advantage in working with the current school board members.

“I want to be able to listen to them and hear their diverse opinions,” she said. “I want to be able to contribute in a positive way.

“I am planning to prepare for this, and I just want to make a difference,” McBeath continued. “Everybody is responsible for what goes on in the school system, whether you have kids or not. The students are our future.”

In conclusion, McBeath is ready for the new challenge that she is facing.

“I’m just excited to be part of this group,” she said as she wrapped up the interview. “I want to be an active participant and have a positive effect on the community.”