The two newest members of the Lakeland School Board (LSB) bring with them almost 40 years of combined work in education and counseling for youth.
Michelle Childs, who has been a social worker with Youth Villages, was sworn in last night (8.5.19). Jeremy Burnett, a dean at Southwest Tennessee Community College, was appointed an LSB member June 26th.
Both replaced LSB members who recently moved from Lakeland before the end of their terms. Mrs. Childs replaced Teresa Henry who resigned July 1st. Mr. Burnett was appointed to fill the remaining term of Geoff Hicks, who moved from Lakeland in June.
They were sworn in by Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright during City Hall ceremonies.
Board Member Burnett
He has been a resident of Lakeland since 2012 and is vice chair of the Economic Development Commission and Industrial Development Board in Lakeland. Having served as the chairman of the Lakeland Education Foundation, he now will serve as LSB liaison to that group.
He is dean of faculty support at Southwest Tennessee Community College where he has been on the faculty and administration for 18 years. He has work experience in hotel and casino businesses.
Mr. Burnett is an active member of Faith Baptist Church, volunteers in the pre-school and A/V Ministries and helps with his Sunday School classes.
Both his degrees, a bachelor’s in hotel and restaurant management and a Master of Science in recreation, tourism and hospitality, come from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
“I have had the privilege to work with my son and other boys and young men in the Boy Scouts for the past 12 years as a father, Cubmaster, merit badge counselor, Eagle mentor and Troop committee chair. In that work, I have helped more than five Boy Scouts to earn the rank of Eagle,” he said.
He and his wife Rachel have two daughters, Anne, 11, and Addie, 7, who attend Lakeland schools; and a son Andrew, 20, who is a third year architecture major at UT Knoxville.
“My desire to serve my community comes from a desire to pay back to public education which served as the primary mechanism that moved me out of generational poverty and provided so many opportunities as well as the Biblical directive to serve one another.”
Board Member Childs
She has been a resident of Lakeland since 2008 except for a recent expat experience to Poland. During that time, she and her husband continued to own their home in Lakeland.
She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Alabama and is a licensed clinical social worker in Tennessee.
She has worked with students for 20+ years, primarily as a social worker with Youth Villages for 16 years at the Dogwood Campus which has an onsite school. She served foster children, including close involvement with their educational needs. She continues to assist people, mostly teenagers, in crisis through Crisis Text Line. “This includes many young texters as young as 11 or so and mostly teens. Many are not getting help from a school counselor or parents they need. I have helped 2,700 people.”
She volunteered as a weekly reader helper at LES (Lakeland Elementary School) and implemented a similar program for Cordova Elementary School through her church outreach program. She has also been a room mother three years.
Mrs. Childs has two children who attended LES for 5 years and are students at LMPS (Lakeland Middle Preparatory School): Trey in 5th grade and Kedron in 8th grade. Michelle and her husband Craig have been married for more than 20 years.
“I bring to the table dedication, hard work and ethics, said Mrs. Childs. “I am passionate about Lakeland students getting an outstanding education and having their mental health needs met as well. This time in my life makes this a good fit for me. I have the time to serve Lakeland with the demands necessary to bring the high school to fruition.”
… Photo by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents
