J. StevensJohn Stevens (Potomac District) was elected chairman of the Loudoun County School Board at the board’s organizational meeting on Tuesday, January 5th, at the School Administrative Offices in Ashburn.

Stevens was elected by a 6-3 vote with himself, Priscilla Godfrey (Blue Ridge District), Bob Ohneiser (Broad Run District), Jennifer Bergel (Catoctin District), Tom Marshall (Leesburg District) and Dr. Joseph Guzman (Sugarland Run District) voting for his nomination.

Marshall nominated Stevens for chairman.

Godfrey also was nominated for the chairman’s post. Her nomination failed on a 5-4 vote with Godfrey, Tom Reed (At-Large), Robert DuPree (Dulles District) and J. Warren Geurin (Sterling District) voting for her.

Geurin nominated Godfrey for chairman.

Stevens succeeds DuPree, who held the chairman’s post for four years. DuPree did not seek re-election.

Godfrey was elected vice chairman on a 6-3 vote with herself, Reed, Ohneiser, Bergel, DuPree and Marshall voting for her nomination. Bergel nominated Godfrey for vice chairman.

Ohneiser and Geurin also were nominated for vice chairman. Geurin held the post in 2009.

Godfrey’s election came on a re-vote after no candidate garnered more than four votes in the first round of balloting.

Godfrey received three votes (Reed, herself and Bergel) in the first round with DuPree abstaining.

Geurin, who was nominated by Marshall, also received three votes (DuPree, Marshall and himself). Reed abstained from that vote.

Ohneiser, who was nominated by Guzman, received four votes (himself, Bergel, Stevens and Guzman). Marshall abstained from that vote.

The board formally voted to extend the superintendent’s contract of Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick III from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2014. (The board had previously announced its intention to reappoint Hatrick). The vote to extend Hatrick’s tenure was 8-1 with Guzman voting no.

Hatrick has served as Loudoun’s superintendent since May 4, 1991.

In other action, the School Board appointed Christina E. Coleman clerk of the board and Patricia L. Fairfax deputy clerk. Deputy Superintendent Ned D. Waterhouse was appointed designee of the superintendent. Assistant Superintendent for Business and Financial Services E. Leigh Burden was appointed as the School Board’s agent and Director of Financial Services Thomas C. Yetter was appointed deputy agent.

Stevens has served on the School Board since February 21, 2007, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of John Andrews.

Stevens is a 1992 graduate of Hofstra University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He is a past president of the Countryside Elementary PTA and has served as vice chair of the Loudoun County Social Services Board, the president of the Broad Run Farms Civic Association, chairman of the Loudoun Community Criminal Justice Board and on the Loudoun County Industrial Development Authority. A software engineer for Unisys Federal Systems, Stevens was a platoon leader and executive officer in the Army Reserve, serving from 1990-2001. He served as vice chairman of the School Board in 2008.

via Loudoun County Public Schools.