Two vying for Timberlake District seat on Campbell County School Board

By Annie McCallum

Published: October 25, 2008

Two candidates are vying for the Timberlake District seat on the Campbell County School Board — substitute teacher Susan Hogg and incumbent Frederick Watson.

 
Susan Hogg
Age: 43
Occupation: Campbell County Schools substitute teacher.
Family: Husband and four children.

Both were finalists for the position when it became vacant in August 2007 after the resignation of longtime board member Boolie Martin. Because the vacancy came within 120 days of a general election, the school board appointed a replacement.

Watson and Hogg were interviewed by the school board in a public session. Board members at the time remarked it was a difficult choice because both were qualified candidates.

 
Frederick Watson
Age: 41
Occupation: Caskie & Frost attorney.
Family: Wife and two children.

Watson, a lawyer at the Lynchburg-based Caskie & Frost law firm, cited his time on various boards, including the school board, as experiences that make him ready for another term. For example, he served on the PTA-PTO Thrift Shop Inc. board of directors, a nonprofit that raised money for city schools.

He has two children, including a daughter in second grade at Tomahawk Elementary School. Watson’s son also will attend Tomahawk next fall. He has been a member of the PTO since his daughter started school there.

Watson said he’s running for school board because he cares about public education in Campbell County and thinks he has the experience to help.

“Having been on school board now for a year, I see the issues that are on the horizon, that need to be addressed,” he said.

Watson said major issues include the upcoming budget, schools that are at capacity and the needs of aging facilities.

Hogg, who also has children attending school in the division, also cited various leadership positions that make her qualified for the school board seat. She previously served on the Tomahawk PTO as president, vice president, and membership and fundraiser chair. Currently, Hogg is a member of several PTOs, including at Brookville Middle School, where she serves as secretary.

“Last year I organized and led a group of parents to pursue more after-school programming. As a result last spring we started a boys and girls soccer club and this year a girls’ volleyball team was added at the middle school,” she said.

Hogg said Campbell County Schools are important to her and she has the education background to help the division, which is why she’s running.

Major issues for the school division, she said, are keeping the student-teacher ratio low, overcrowding at some schools, keeping teacher and teacher’s aide salaries competitive, creating more after-school activities and keeping up aging facilities.