Bobbi Ann (Young) Bair made her first political campaign a successful one and will take a seat on the Clinton County Board of Education in January.

Bair was elected school board member in the fifth district, consisting of the Hayes-Maupin and South Albany precincts. She may also become part of board history, as for the first time in memory, women will outnumber men who make up the school board in Clinton County.

Bair will become one of three female board members, joining Paula Key and recently appointed member Sue Irwin.

Bair has a son in eighth grade, Ryan, at Clinton County Middle School, and was a past parent member of the Site Based Council at that school before having to resign after being elected to the school board.

“I’m more interested now about education since I have a son that is nearing high school. Our kids are our most important asset,” she said, adding, “I would like to see our young people be able to go to college or technical school and come back here and work.”

Bair grew up in Albany, being a 1997 graduate of CCHS. She attended the University of Kentucky and finished at the University of Georgia.

She began her career in the insurance business in the Atlanta area with AIG for about 12 years and is now in Enterprise Risk Management and Auditing with Canal out of North Carolina, although she works mostly from home and only has to travel on the job on occasion.

Bair’s parents were Bobby Young and Patty Young, and she now resides in the Concord community.

Other than appointing the school’s superintendent and legal council and overseeing the budget, Bair said first and foremost the responsibility she felt as a board member would be “ensuring student performance and making sure every student had the opportunity to be educated.”

Bair has already been to one school board member training session, which she noted was very informative and helpful.

Among some of the things she noted she gained was learning the role of a board member and ethics, among others. She noted there were over 300 newly elected board members at the seminar.

The incoming board member said that in her first term on the board, she would like to see continued improvement in student performance and allow teachers to sharpen the tools they have with professional development.

She also believes that all students and faculty should have the opportunity to come to school to be present and be heard.

Bair feels a main priority is to give students an education, whether it be in college or a technical field, which will prepare them for the work place in whatever field they choose, “and it starts early on…from kindergarten, year-by-year,” she said.

Bair said she knew most of the board members, superintendent and other school officials pretty well and feels they will be good to get along with and work with.

Bair concluded by thanking the people in her district for their support, saying she looked forward to serving the families and children and vowed to do her best in the job. “I will also have an open door policy for everyone.”

Bobby Ann Bair to take school board seat