Jacquelyn Hallum Retires From School Board
Jacquelyn Hallum will step down from the Asheville City School Board April 1, 2015 after an eight-year tenure.
Hallum was appointed to the Board in April 2007, replacing Dr. Dolly Mullen, who did not seek reappointment at the completion of a four-year term. At the time, the board chairman was Asheville Housing Authority Executive Director Gene Bell, and vice-chair was Al Whitesides, a retired banker. Both men were valued mentors during Hallum’s first term, and helped prepare her to take on the chairmanship in 2011.
During Hallum’s tenure on the board, the Asheville school system has undergone a great deal of change. In those eight years the city has seen its first two women mayors, Terry Bellamy and Esther Manheimer, and four superintendents—three appointed, one interim—have led the school system. Robert Logan was near the end of his term when Hallum joined the board, and he was succeeded by Allen Johnson. Dr. Bobbie Short was named interim superintendent when Johnson departed, and Hallum was instrumental in choosing the current superintendent, Dr. Pamela Baldwin.
Hallum also worked closely with Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chairman David Gantt and County Manager Wanda Greene to gain funding to build the first new public schools in the district in more than 30 years. A new Asheville Middle School is now under construction on South French Broad Avenue, and a new Isaac Dixon Elementary School is nearing completion on the Hill Street site of the former building, which was demolished to make way for the state-of-the-art replacement school.
“I am excited about the possibilities of my next steps after serving on the school board,” said Hallum. “Asheville City Schools has been my family for eight years and I will miss them dearly. I have grown and learned so much working with the outstanding students, educators, school administrators, and leadership team. It has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’m especially thankful that I am leaving the district in the hands of our new superintendent and executive, Dr. Pamela Baldwin.”
Ms. Hallum, an Asheville native, is Director of Health Careers and Diversity Education at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), where she has been employed for the past 20 years. Her healthcare background spans more than three decades, during which she has been an advocate for social justice, mentoring underprivileged youth and working for health parity, cultural congruence, and workforce diversity and inclusion. Her professional focus there is working with underrepresented minorities who have an interest in the health professions by providing resources to help them achieve their goals.
A 1973 graduate of Asheville High School, Hallum studied at UNC Asheville for two years, then transferred to North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, where she earned a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. She later earned a dual Masters in Business Administration and Health Administration from Pfeiffer University.
She is an experienced presenter in multicultural education, including microaggression and managing workforce diversity. She also serves on several national, state, and regional boards and committees.
Fellow school board member Precious Grant will also end her tenure on April 1, 2015. Asheville City Council is currently in the process of selecting two new board members from a field of 14 candidates. Selection and interviews will take place at on Tuesday, March 24, 2015.
