The Jackson County Board of Education announced on Mar. 9 the appointment of Ryan Brooks to fill the vacant District 3 seat. Brooks will be sworn in later this month during the board’s annual retreat.
The appointment comes after Ryan Smoot, who was previously selected for the position in February, resigned upon discovering he did not reside within District 3 but instead lived in District 4. “After learning that my residence is in District 4 rather than District 3, I understand that I’ll need to step down from the position,” Smoot said. “I appreciate your understanding, and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to be involved.”
Brooks has qualified to run in this year’s election and is a longtime resident of Jackson County. He attended Maysville Elementary School and graduated from East Jackson High School in 2009. Brooks said his passion for serving students, staff, and the community motivates him to serve on the board.
“Being around my kids in sports, I have a passion for the younger generation,” Brooks said. “I know the impact I put on my child’s life and I know there are others. I tell parents when I coach, ‘I am going to hug on your kid and build them up.’ I am trying to build up a better generation of kids.
“I feel like the greatness of what is going on in the school system is contagious and I want to be a part of that to support our kids, our teachers and the concerns of the community daily,” he added.
Brooks and his wife are high school sweethearts who married in 2014. They have two children.
