At its December 20, 2022, the Union County Board of Education elected to negotiate a director's contract with Washburn Principal Gregory Clay. Clay had been employed as a teacher and a principal at Horace Maynard Middle School. The announcement brought a round of applause from the audience.
In selecting Clay, the BOE decided to negotiate the same pay and benefits as Dr. Jimmy Carter's previous contract with a two-year time frame. The contract will also have at least four performance-based goals that include bonus pay. Chairman Marty Gibbs will handle the contract negotiations. Gibbs stated that Clay may assume his duties in January. Dr. Ronnie Mincey has been serving as the Interim Director and will continue as the Supervisor of Federal Programs and the clerk for the BOE.
The process for finding a new director began when the BOE did not reinstate Dr. Jimmy Carter to serve out his contract after his resignation this past summer. Soon after the September BOE meeting, the board contracted with the Tennessee School Board Association to perform a national search for the position in Union County. Ten applicants from Tennessee and other states were reviewed by TSBA and the applicants narrowed to two that were recommended and accepted on December 5. Angela Messer, who is a Knox County Supervisor from Union County, was interviewed on December 14. Clay was interviewed on December 19, and subsequently named the new director on December 20.
More information will appear in the Historic Union County online newsletter as the negotiated contract is completed.