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D-428 board president McDavid resigns
from DC_MidWeek_080223
by Shaw Media
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – DeKalb School District 428 Board President Samantha McDavid has resigned to pursue a new professional opportunity.
McDavid has served on the school board since 2019 and won reelection in 2023. Her departure became effective July 26. Board Vice President Deyci Ramirez plans to assume the position of board president in McDavid’s absence.
McDavid said her new job is at the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education.
“Deciding to resign is bittersweet for me because I love the work that I’ve been doing on the board and the service to my community, but I have been offered a professional opportunity that potentially conflicts with my role on the school board,” McDavid said. “I want to pursue this professional opportunity at the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education, and I’m very excited for that, but it is again bittersweet because it does require that I am not serving on the board in the capacity that I was.”
McDavid was reelected in April for a second term and shortly thereafter tabbed for the leadership position of board president. She said there are many things she will miss about her time spent on the school board.
“We have really created a collaborative spirit on the board, so within the board, but also within the district,” McDavid said. “I will miss working with [superintendent] Dr. [Minerva] Garcia-Sanchez, my fellow board members to make decisions that are impactful to our students. I will miss just in general a sense of belonging to something bigger than I am, being a part of something that is serving my community. I’ll find other ways to do that, but being on the board really fulfills that in a lot of ways for me.”
McDavid said she believes her time on the school board has proven to be invaluable in helping her land an opportunity at the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education.
“I’ve learned so much in just over the last four years that I’ve been on the board,” she said. “I think I’ve grown immensely as a leader, a collaborator, a caring community member understanding the concerns and the needs of the families and students has really been impactful to me. I think I’ll carry that with me, for sure. That will definitely be an asset in whatever role I’m in but especially in a role at the Regional Office of Education.”
Garcia-Sanchez said McDavid will be greatly missed.
“As a parent with three children who attend schools within the district and as an advocate for early childhood education in her professional role, President McDavid brought valuable insight and perspective to her duties on the board,” Garcia-Sanchez said in a news release. “Her efforts helped foster an environment that promotes academic excellence, inclusivity, and growth for all our students.”
Genoa Veterans Home annual Veterans Weekend begins Aug. 4
Shaw Local News Network
GENOA – The Genoa Veterans Home will host its 16th annual Veterans Weekend in Genoa and DeKalb.
The three-day event will take place Aug. 4-6, according to a news release.
The weekend will begin with a meetand-greet from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, at the DeKalb AMVETS, 421 E. Oak St., DeKalb. The band Beau will perform and food will be available from the Dirty Bird food truck.
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On Saturday, Aug. 5, the senior veterans motorcycle parade will begin at 9 a.m. at Barbed Wire Harley-Davidson, 969 N. Peace Road, DeKalb.
A living history military encampment will be held in the yard of the Genoa Veterans Home, 311 S. Washington St., Saturday and an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. Burgers and pork chops will be served from noon to 2 p.m. and a Veterans Awareness Fair will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. A spaghetti dinner will be served from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Music will be performed by Polly Says from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the Couch Coins from 7 to 10 p.m. The Wild Fries Food Truck will provide food.
On Sunday, the American Legion Auxiliary will serve a biscuit and gravy breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. The Sportsmans Show will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Couch Coins will perform from 5 to 8 p.m.
For information, call 815-757-2230 or 815-784-5967.
