Sherry S. Ragland is the new chairman of the Buckingham County School Board.

Ragland, who represents District Five on the board, succeeds District Three board member H. Ed Wise Jr.

Ragland, who works as a district manager for the Peter Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District, is beginning her ninth year on the board. She previously served as the board’s vice chair for about four years.

“I’m excited,” Ragland said. “We all kind of just always knew we’d loop around and take turns (as chairman), just because different thoughts and different processes and things. And Ed’s been so good and he’s been leading us very well. He and I kind of talked about it.”

In another unanimous decision, board members selected District Six representative Thomas “Hut” Hutcherson as vice chair.

“I just feel like we need to stay on the same path that we’re headed,” Ragland said when asked about her goals as board chairman.

She said she wants the board to continue to support Division Superintendent Dr. Cecil Snead.

“(We need to) continue to support him and listen to the administration and what their needs are. I feel like the whole board jives really well together. I can’t think of a better board I’d rather be on. Everybody brings something different to the board … through their walk of life,” Ragland said.

She said she hears from a lot of people in her district and across the county.

“He ran an excellent meeting,” she said of Wise.

Wise said Ragland and Hutcherson “will do a great job. I intend to support them wholeheartedly just as they have always supported me.”

Wise didn’t say why he didn’t seek re-election as chairman.

“We are blessed to have a board that works cooperatively for the betterment of our students and faculty,” he said.