Posted on December 8, 2016.
By Bill Short
Three new Millington School Board members elected on Nov. 8 were sworn in last Thursday and the fourth on Monday night shortly before the board’s monthly meeting. With Mayor Terry Jones administering the Oath of Office, Roger Christopher, Mark Coulter, Chris Denson and Ronnie Mackin vowed to support the U.S. and Tennessee Constitutions and statutes, and to “faithfully execute” the office to which they have been elected. In the city’s three contested school board races, Christopher, Coulter and Mackin defeated Position 1 member Gregory Ritter, Rosie Crawford and Position 5 member Louise Kennon, respectively. Denson was unopposed for the open Position 7 seat. Dr. David Roper, superintendent of Millington Municipal Schools, welcomed the new members “on behalf” of the school system administration. “We look forward to working with you as we go from week to week and month to month now in our third year of operation of the school district,” he said. “We’re very confident that, working together, we can move forward and have everything accrue to the benefit of our students, which is what this is all about in the long run.” On Monday night, the board re-elected Cody Childress as its chairman for another year. C. J. Haley was elected as vice chairman and Larry Jackson as the board’s Tennessee Legislative Network representative. Childress then presented individual plaques to Kennon and Ritter in appreciation for their service to the board. Christopher is a 1964 graduate of Woodstock High School who earned a Bachelor of Bible Theology degree at International Seminary, as well as a Master of Divinity Degree and a Doctor of Ministry Degree at Andersonville Theological Seminary. Employed as a pastor and school bus driver, he is a member of the Vietnam Veterans Association and Independent Fellowship International. Educated in the Millington schools, Coulter is a local small business owner. He is also a member of the First Baptist Church, the Memphis Chamber of Commerce and is a referee with the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Denson is a graduate of Overton High School who completed studies at Baptist College of Health Science and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Columbus University in Louisiana. A registered X-ray technician, he is employed as director of Professional Services for Fujifilm Medical Systems. Denson previously served for three years as vice president of the Basketball Boosters Club for Millington Central High School and has been president of the Football Boosters Club for the past four years. Mackin earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in elementary education at The University of Memphis in 1999 and a Master of Science Degree in school administration and supervision at Bethel College in 2005.
Employed as the principal of Trezevant High School in Memphis, he is a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Tennessee Principal Association and New Leaders for New Schools.
