MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Association of School Boards installed several new members to the association’s Board of Directors during the closing session of the 2017 AASB Annual Convention in Birmingham on December 9.Former AASB Vice President James Woosley of the Satsuma City school board is now president of the 14-member Board of Directors. For the next two years, he will stand at the helm of the association serving all of Alabama’s public, k-12 school board members and public local school boards. Those school boards provide leadership that impacts the lives of the state’s nearly 750,000 public schoolchildren.
Woosley steps into the position most recently held by Pam Doyle of the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science school board. Doyle will remain on the AASB board as immediate past president. Gwen Harris-Brooks of the Lanett City school board is the association’s new vice president, having previously served two terms as the District 4 director.
In addition to the installation of new officers, the association welcomed back District 2 director Mike Oakley of the Bibb County school board, who now begins his second two-year term on AASB’s Board of Directors. Three new directors also were installed during the Dec. 9 ceremony: District 4 Director Mary Hooks of the Macon County school board; District 6 Director Marie Manning of the St. Clair County school board; and District 8 Director Ronnie Owens of the Lauderdale County school board.
“This group brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and demonstrated leadership to the
AASB Executive Director Sally Smith, J.D
association,” said AASB Executive Director Sally Smith, J.D. “AASB is proud of the work that has gone into accomplishing our strategic goals, and we look forward to continued success with this group of outstanding leaders guiding our association.”
AASB has a total of nine districts representing geographical areas of the state. The district directors, along with AASB’s officers, govern the association’s activities. Smith and State Board of Education liaison Dr. Cynthia McCarty serve as non-voting members of the AASB Board of Directors. Also serving on the board are District 1 Director Shannon Cauley of the Baldwin County school board, District 3 Director Greg Price of the Pike County school board, District 5 Director Renna Soles Scott of the Bessemer City school board, District 7 Director Bradley Ingle of the Walker County school board and District 9 Director Connie Spears of the Madison City school board.
Newly installed AASB officers and directors (l-r): District 4 Director Mary Hooks of Macon County, District 2 Director Mike Oakley of Bibb County, AASB President James Woosley of Satsuma, AASB Vice President Gwen Harris-Brooks of Lanett, District 6 Director Marie Manning of St. Clair County and District 8 Director Ronnie Owens of Lauderdale County. Pam Doyle of the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science school board (not pictured) is immediate past president. [PHOTO: DANA W. VANDIVER/AASB]
James Woosley
Woosley has served on the Satsuma school board since 2011. He has held previous leadership roles for the association, having served as AASB vice president and District 1 director. Woosley also served on the Alabama Educational Hall of Fame Screening Committee and on the Legal Assistance Fund Board of Trustees. He has attained the master level in AASB’s School Board Member Academy, earning nearly 250 training hours.
“James has been a very dedicated member to the association,” said AASB Director Sally Smith. “We’re excited to have him as our new president, and we know he’ll do a great job facilitating our Board of Directors in making sound decisions for Alabama’s schoolchildren.”
Woosley, who holds a degree in computer science, is a project management director at Mission Mercantile. He is married to Heather Woosley, and together they have two children, Anna and Ian.
Gwen Harris-Brooks
Harris-Brooks has served two terms as AASB’s District 4 director. She is chair of the Lanett Board of Education, on which she has served since 2000.
An active member of the association, Harris-Brooks has served on various AASB committees, including the Resolutions, Budget & Finance and Multicultural Committees. She also has been involved in AASB’s advocacy network and the National School Boards Association’s Federal Relations Network. She has earned the masters honor roll status in AASB’s School Board Member Academy, with more than 450 training hours.
A former educator, Harris-Brooks currently owns her own business, Express Tax Service in Lanett.
Pam Doyle
Doyle is a member of the Alabama School of Math and Science board and is a former member of the Muscle Shoals Board of Education.
She has served a two-year term as AASB president, as well as vice president and District 8 director. Her involvement in the association includes past chairmanships of AASB’s Resolutions, Budget & Finance and Multicultural committees and a stint as vice chair of the Resolutions Committee. She has achieved the masters honor roll distinction in the AASB School Board Member Academy, earning nearly 600 training hours. Doyle currently represents AASB on the national level as Southern Region Director on the board of the National School Boards Association.
She owns and operates Superior Print Solutions and is married to Gary. The couple has two children, Kimberly and Danielle, and six grandchildren.
Mike Oakley
As District 2 director, Oakley represents the school boards in Autauga, Bibb, Butler, Chilton, Choctaw, Dallas, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry and Wilcox counties as well as the Demopolis, Linden and Selma boards. Oakley has been actively involved in the association, having served on multiple committees, including the Multicultural
Committee and Leader to Leader Committee (now called the Advocacy Committee). He also has reached the master level in AASB’s School Board Member Academy, earning more than 340 training hours.
Oakley has served more than 30 years in the military, and currently holds the rank of sergeant major in the Alabama National Guard. He has a journalism/public relations degree and began his postsecondary education at Livingston University (now the University of West Alabama) and Wallace State Community College before finishing his degree at the University of Alabama. He has returned to the University of Alabama to pursue a master’s degree in organizational management.
A familiar face in his community, Oakley has served on the Bibb and Pickens County Chambers of Commerce, the local Kiwanis Club and the Bibb County Schools Foundation. He was a governor’s appointee to the State of Alabama Bicentennial Committee.
Oakley and his wife, Sharon, reside in Centreville and have three children, Anna-Michael (Thomas) Oakley-Longshore, Trip and Pate. They have one grandson, Tommy. Oakley works in corporate relations at Alabama Power.
Mary Hooks
As District 4 director, Hooks represents the Alexander City, Auburn, Bullock, Chambers, Clay, Coosa, Elmore, Lanett, Lee, Macon, Montgomery, Opelika, Phenix City, Pike Road, Randolph, Roanoke, Russell, Tallapoosa and Tallassee school boards, as well as the Department of Youth Services.
Hooks, who has served on the Macon County school board since 2010, has been actively involved in the association, having served on the Resolutions and the Board Training Advisory Committees. She was selected as a 2016 All-State School Board member, which is AASB’s highest honor bestowed to honor exemplary boardmanship and leadership. Hooks has attained the master level in AASB’s School Board Member Academy, with more than 273 training hours.
A retired educator, Hooks also has been active in her community by participating in numerous programs and serving on several boards, including as chairman for the Distinguished Young Women scholarship competition, formerly known as Junior Miss.
Marie Manning
As District 6 director, Manning represents the Anniston, Attalla, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Fort Payne, Gadsden, Jacksonville, Oxford, Pell City, Piedmont, St. Clair, Sylacauga, Talladega County and Talladega City school boards, as well as the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind. She has been actively involved in the association, serving on the Academy Advisory and Budget and Finance Committees. She has attained level 3 in AASB’s School Board Member Academy, earning 190 training hours.
Manning is a retired science teacher and former superintendent of the St. Clair County school system. She and her husband, Paul, have one daughter, Leann Coker Ford, and two grandsons, Cade Walker and Barrett Ford.
Ronnie Owens
As District 8 director, Owens represents the Athens, Colbert, Cullman County, Cullman, Decatur, Florence, Franklin, Haleyville, Hartselle, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan, Muscle Shoals, Russellville, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Winston school boards.
Owens, who has served on the Lauderdale County school board since November 2014, has been actively involved in the association, having served on the Multicultural Committee. He has attained the master level in AASB’s School Board Member Academy, with more than 187 training hours.
A retired educator and former president of the Rogersville Chamber of Commerce, Owens and his wife, Joan, have three children, Brock, Whitney and Ryan Owens.
Media Release/DANA VANDIVER AASB
