The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley From left, Randolph County Board of Education candidates Marc Wamsley, Janie Newlon, Sherri Collett and Heidi Storrick McFadden take part in a Candidate Forum at the Homestead Community and Event Center.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley
From left, Randolph County Board of Education candidates Marc Wamsley, Janie Newlon, Sherri Collett and Heidi Storrick McFadden take part in a Candidate Forum at the Homestead Community and Event Center.

DAILEY — Four Democratic candidates running for the Randolph County Board of Education in the May 10 primary took part in a Candidate Forum at the Homestead Community and Event Center recently.

Sherri Collett, Heidi Storrick McFadden, Janie Newlon and Marc Wamsley attended the event that was hosted by the Randolph County Democratic Women’s Club. The forum was open to any Randolph County candidates running in the primary. A total of 10 BOE candidates are on the ballot.

Collett spoke during the forum about how her husband, Russ, has been an educator for 30 years, which has allowed her to witness first-hand how things need to operate.

“I have been an observer from the outside when it comes to education,” she said. “I have also been a trainer and coach for school sports teams in the county. I have also been a part of many booster clubs and I feel that I have a lot to give to the county.”

Collett is a chiropractor and has lived in Beverly for 20 years. She grew up in Manassas, Virginia.

Heidi Storrick McFadden, a stay-at-home mother with four school-aged children, was next to speak. She said she had wanted nothing more than to come back to Randolph County after moving away for a time.

“I just really love Elkins and Randolph County,” she said. “I moved away, tested out other places and went to college at WVU.

“My husband and I were married young and we joined the army and had children. We then decided that geographical instability was really difficult, because I’m used to having roots, I’m used to knowing my neighbors and having people who know me very well.

“I missed all of that and wanted that for my kids,” she said. “So moving back to Elkins was a choice for my kids and for the love of West Virginia. I find myself in a position where I have an interest in the public schools because of my children. I have time and I’m focused on kids. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m just willing to put my head together with the rest of the folks on the board to find solutions.”

Storrick McFadden and her husband, Colin McFadden, reside in Elkins. She is a graduate of Elkins High School and West Virginia University.

Newlon, who is the current vice president of the Randolph County Board of Education, is running for re-election in the May primary. She talked about how running the Shining Light Learning Center for the past 20 years has helped her understand what children need.

“I have helped a lot of kids with their first step into education,” Newlon said. “We’ve always been an educational family and active in the community. My interest is in the kids and the teachers.

“Last week we didn’t have a good board meeting because it is RIF season and when you have 28 kids in a class that is too many for me. I want to continue to work and help with all the educational needs of the students of Randolph County.”

The last candidate to talk at the forum was Valley Bend resident Marc Wamsley, who feels that his previous work experience provides him with many different tools to help with education in the county.

“The reason I’m running for the Board of Education is because over the years I have seen how the board has struggled,” Wamsley said. “And it’s not their fault, it’s what they have to manage. That’s why I’m running for BOE, because of my background where I have 20 years of management experience, managing facilities, managing budgets and managing people.

“I have 18 years of construction industry experience, 11 years of information technology experience, 10 years of safety professional experience and nine years of environmental experience. I want to offer all my talent to the county . I want to help the Board of Education and our school system be better for hopefully my grandchildren.”

Wamsley is a graduate of Tygarts Valley High School and is the brother of long-time county educators and coaches Steve and Tom Wamsley. He has been married for 22 years and has one daughter.

Early voting is underway in Randolph County and will run through Saturday.Voting can be done at the Wees Annex on Randolph Avenue in Elkins, or at the Russell Memorial Public Library in Mill Creek. Voting times are today through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.