Greg Martin is the new District 3 school board member as selected by the Hamilton County Commission to replace long-serving school board member Everett Fairchild, who recently stepped down.
Representing Hixson and Middle Valley, the District 3 seat had commissioners split 5-4 between Martin and Tammy Zumbrun, who was nominated by District 3 Commissioner Mitch McClure.
"I want to help provide a quality education in the neighborhood where I've grown up," said Martin, a graduate of Hixson Junior High School and Hixson High School. "What's important is having communication with other board members and [Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Rick Smith], and I'm looking forward to working with him."
Schools in Martin's district include Dupont, Big Ridge, Ganns-Middle Valley, Hixson and McConnell elementary schools; Hixson and Loftis middle schools; and Hixson High.
Martin sees the state of disrepair some of the county's schools are in as one of the system's biggest issues.
"We need to put money into some our capital improvements," he said.
Martin has a bachelor's in Bible from Bryan College and a Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the family services director for Lakewood Memory Gardens and Hamilton County Memorial Park.
Martin served as an appointed school board member in Long Beach, Miss., for several years. He was also chairman of the Home Mission Board, an agency of the Southern Baptist Convention now folded into the North American Mission Board, in which he oversaw an $80 million budget and 5,000 employees.
He said he has not yet determined whether he will run for the District 3 school board seat at the conclusion of the remainder of Fairchild's - now Martin's - term. Fairchild, a longtime board member, stepped down for health reasons.