Appointed member will seek election
ALLEN JENKINS was appointed to the Grady County Board of Education in February.
Jenkins, 40, was appointed to the board by a unanimous vote following the resignation of District 3 school board member Byron Puckett. The local barber was appointed to serve the remainder of Puckett’s unexpired term which would end Dec. 31.
In the aftermath of Puckett’s resignation, Board Chairman Teresa Gee Harris and Vice Chairman Drew Pyrz encouraged applicants to apply for the board post who were not interested in seeking a full term.
The two school system officials did not want to give any one the advantage of incumbency, however, the board has no legal grounds to make such a stipulation.
Board member Jenkins said this week he never made a pledge not to run and after having served for the last four months, he has decided he would like to continue serving.
“I want to continue what I’ve been doing – working hard and get things situated. I’ve been extremely enlightened so far and have learned a lot. I want to continue on that same path,” Jenkins said.
He is the owner of Allen’s Barber Shop, 801 1st Avenue N.E.
The newest member of the school board lived nearly half of his life in Alaska as a member of his traveling military family. He attended Southside Elementary School and Washington Middle School before moving back to Anchorage for high school. While in Anchorage, he studied at the University of Alaska for three years and Anchorage Barber College, where he eventually graduated, for a year.
Jenkins made a permanent move to Cairo from Alaska in 2002. He has three children, Johnny, a Cairo High School senior; Haley, who attends Whigham School every other year; and Nathan, who works with him at the barber shop. His wife is Debbie Jenkins.
Another candidate who has announced plans to qualify for the District 3 post is Cairo banker Marty Cannington. Qualifying opens next Wednesday, May 23, and will conclude at noon on Friday, May 25.
