Wallace elected on unanimous vote with Benjamin is elected vice president 4-3
Superintendent McClung, center, with Wallace, left, and Benjamin
A week after the Escambia County (Ala.) School Board split 3-3 to elect a new president, the board voted unanimously Monday morning to elect District 7 Board Member Coleman Wallace as the next president.
That vote followed a 4-3 vote to elect District 2 Board Member Danny Benjamin as vice president.
At the Nov. 22 meeting to elect a board president, Wallace received three votes and District 3 Board Member Mike Edwards received three votes. District 1 Board Member Kevin Hoomes was absent. In that meeting Benjamin nominated Edwards and District 6 Board Member Sherry Digmon nominated Wallace. District 5 Board Member Loumeek White, Benjamin and Edwards voted for Edwards and Jackson, Digmon and Wallace voted for Wallace.
The deadlock forced a special meeting this Monday to elect a new president. By state law the board must elect a new president and vice president in November to serve a one-year term.
Monday, with all seven board members present, Edwards said he wanted to reopen the nominations. Edwards then nominated Wallace for president. Benjamin nominated Edwards, but Edwards declined the nomination.
In a roll call vote, Wallace was elected president on a 7-0 vote.
After Wallace took his seat at the head of the table the board moved into electing a vice president. White nominated Benjamin and Digmon nominated Jackson. Benjamin was elected on a 4-3 vote with Benjamin, Edwards, White and Wallace voting for Benjamin. Jackson, Hoomes and Digmon voted for Jackson.
