Posted on December 4, 2014.
By Bill Short
School Board Members Louise Kennon and Greg Ritter cut the cake prepared by Elaine Baker.
School Board Members participated in a celebration of the one-year anniversary of Millington Municipal Schools at City Hall. Haley gives her son Jeb, a Millington Middle School student, a hug during the event.
From left, re-elected Millington School Board members Cecilia “C. J.” Haley, Cody Childress and Larry Jackson recite the Oath of Office Monday night at City Hall as they are sworn in to four-year terms by Mayor Terry Jones. In the Nov. 4 election, Childress defeated challenger Emile G. Sigee for Position 4, while Haley and Jackson were unopposed in Positions 2 and 6, respectively.
The three Millington School Board members elected to four-year terms on Nov. 4 were sworn in Monday night shortly before the board’s monthly meeting. With Mayor Terry Jones administering the Oath of Office, Cody Childress, Cecilia “C. J.” Haley and Larry Jackson vowed to support the U.S. and Tennessee Constitutions, the new Millington City Charter and ordinances, and to “diligently and faithfully” perform their duties to the best of their “skill and judgment, without partiality or prejudice.” Before the brief ceremony in the Board of Mayor and Aldermen Chamber, a 45-minute reception was held in the City Hall Lobby to celebrate the school board’s first year of existence. In this year’s only contested Millington School Board race, Childress defeated challenger Emile G. Sigee for Position 4. Haley and Jackson were unopposed in Positions 2 and 6, respectively. Childress and Haley were each elected on Nov. 7, 2013 to an initial one-year term on the board. While he was uncontested, she successfully competed with Oscar Brown, who is now employed as supervisor of Operations and Transportation for the municipal school system. Jackson was appointed on July 14 by the Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen to fill the position left vacant by Jennifer Carroll’s resignation. Carroll was elected last year to an initial one-year term in Position 6. She resigned on June 19 to apply for a teacher position in the school district and was hired at E. A. Harrold Elementary School. A native of Mississippi, Haley has lived in Tennessee most of her life. She has been a resident of Millington since she and her husband got married in 1999. Their 11-year-old son is enrolled this year in Millington Middle School. A 1966 graduate of Millington Central High School, Jackson served as an alderman from 1984-88. He has also been a member of the Millington Industrial Development Board and the Millington Sports Authority, as well as the Board of Directors of the Millington Area Chamber of Commerce. Since 2001, he has been president of the Patriot Bank in Millington. A native of Memphis, Childress is a 1974 graduate of Frayser High School. After getting married at age 21, he moved with his wife to the Raleigh area of north Memphis. Fourteen years later, they moved to the Lucy area. Since 1987, Childress has been the owner of Splash Plumbing in Lucy. Two years ago, he retired from the Memphis Fire Department after more than 28 years. His wife was employed by the Shelby County School System for 17 years as a medical records clerk at Millington Elementary School. This summer, she was hired for the same position in the municipal school system. In other action at Monday night’s meeting, the board elected Vice Chairman Don Holsinger as its new chairman for the next year. Chairman Greg Ritter was elected the new vice chairman.
Board members also re-elected Chuck Hurt Jr. as their Tennessee Legislative Network representative.
