Small Town News

More BOE challengers qualify for Nov. election

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Voters in school board Districts 1 and 7 will have a choice in electing their school board representatives in November.

Local real estate broker Keith Rollins and youth minister John Marc Cooling qualified to challenge District 7 school

board member Eva Bilderback last week.

Rollins, 58, said he started attending board of education meetings while in the chamber's Leadership Monroe class and decided he wanted to get involved. "I think I can make a difference," said Rollins, who owns his own commercial real estate company, Rollins Property Group LLC. Rollins said he thinks he can be a better representative of folks and that the school board has an important responsibility to children. He said keeping a good, strong school system if Monroe County is to grow.

Rollins graduated from Lanier High School, in Macon and the University of Georgia.

Cooling had qualified to run for school board from District 2 in 2008 but was disqualified after it was learned the county had placed him in the wrong district. He actually lived in District 6. Cooling said he recently moved and now lives in District 7.

Cooling, 28, is the children's minister at Pine Forest Baptist Church in Macon.

He and his wife Amanda, have two small children and Cooling said therefore he has a vested interest in the schools. A graduate of Mary Persons, Cooling said he's always had a passion for education.

Eva Bilderback is the wife of Monroe County commissioner Mike Bilderback. She is finishing her first term in office. Bilderback has worked with the U.S. Postal Service for 23 years. She is a member at Mabel White Baptist Church where she sings in the choir and on the Praise team and serves on the jail ministry.

Bilderback has three children and three grandchildren. Her oldest son is a U.S. Marine currently serving in Afghanistan.

As reported last week, James Green has qualified to challenge District 1 incumbent J.P. Evans on the school board.

District 3 board member Phil Walker and District 5 board member Nolen Howard face no opposition and automatically get four more years in office.

Meanwhile, no one qualified to challenge superior court judge Tommy Wilson, who automatically gets four more years on the bench.



Copyright 2010 The Monroe County Reporter, Forsyth, Georgia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 The Monroe County Reporter Forsyth, Georgia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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