St. Clair school board member named Scott Suttle president-elect of state association
Published 9:25 pm Friday, December 20, 2024
- Scott Suttle breaks ground on new Moody Middle School playground in February 2022. file
The Alabama Association of School Boards has installed a slate of new leaders to its 2025 Board of Directors. Scott Suttle, of the St. Clair County Board of Education, is the association’s new president-elect.
Suttle has served as a member of the St. Clair County school board since 2001 and currently serves as board president. He previously served as District 6 Director and is a 2021 recipient of the All-State School Board Award, the association’s highest honor for school board members. Suttle has reached master status in the AASB School Board Member Academy with more than 520 training hours and served on the AASB Resolutions Committee.
Retired from a 40-year career with Thompson Tractor, Suttle is a licensed helicopter pilot and occasionally volunteers to assist the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department.
Geneva City school board member Russell Clausell, the association’s new president, and other leaders were sworn in Saturday, Dec. 7, during the closing general session of AASB’s Annual Convention held at The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa.
Clausell will serve a one-year term at the helm of the association representing all of Alabama’s public local school boards, including nearly 900 local school board members. These school boards provide leadership that impacts the lives of the state’s nearly 750,000 public schoolchildren.
Clausell succeeds Brad Ingle of the Walker County Board of Education, who will remain on the AASB Board of Directors as immediate past president.
Reelected to serve second terms on AASB’s 14-member Board of Directors were District 1 Director Ann Peach of the Brewton City Board of Education, District 5 Director Derek Henderson of Alabaster City Board of Education, District 7 Director Randy Smalley of the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education and District 9 Director Alice Lessmann of the Madison City Board of Education.
District 3 Director Melanie Hill of the Dothan City Board of Education was elected to serve her first full term on the AASB Board.
Three individuals received appointments to serve out the balance of vacant terms Dr. Chante Ruffin of the Alexander City Board of Education was appointed to fulfill the balance of the term vacated by previous District 4 Director Matilda Woodyard-Hamilton of the Tallapoosa County Board of Education; Mike Webb of the Calhoun County Board of Education was appointed to fulfill the balance of the term vacated by current AASB President Elect Suttle; Donna Jones of the Haleyville City Board of Education was appointed to complete the term of former Director 8 Director Jimmy Dobbs of the Morgan County Board of Education.
AASB has nine districts representing geographical areas of the state. The district directors, along with AASB’s officers, govern the association’s activities. Non-voting members of the Board include Smith, who serves as secretary and treasurer, and Dr. Tonya Chestnut who serves as the State Board of Education liaison. Also serving on the board are District 2 Director Camille Gibson of the Bibb County Board of Education.
District 5 director, Derek Henderson represents the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Alabaster, Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Homewood, Hoover, i3 Academy, Jefferson County, Leeds, Legacy Prep, Midfield, Mountain Brook, Pelham, Shelby County, Tarrant, Trussville and Vestavia Hills school boards.
Henderson has served as a member of the Alabaster school board since 2013. He has reached master honor roll status in the School Board Member Academy, earning more than 440 training hours. He also has served on the AASB Budget & Finance, Nominating and Equity Committees.
Henderson is one of four recipients of AASB’s 2022 All-State School Board Award, the highest honor the association bestows in recognition of exemplary boardmanship. A retired insurance professional, Henderson also previously served as a trustee for the Alabama Trust for Boards of Education.
District 6 Director Michael (Mike) Webb represents the school boards of represents the school boards of Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, Anniston, Attalla, Calhoun County, Cherokee County, Cleburne County, DeKalb County, Etowah County, Fort Payne, Gadsden, Jacksonville, Oxford, Pell City, Piedmont, St. Clair County, Sylacauga, Talladega County and Talladega.
Webb has served on the Calhoun County Board of Education since 2018. He has reached level three in AASB’s School Board Member Academy, with more than 175 training hours. Webb was employed as an officer with the Anniston City Police Department for 12 years and now owns his own business.
