Cumberland County School Board Vice-Chair Eurika Tyree has announced her intention to seek election to the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors 3rd District seat, which will be open following the impending retirement of Kevin Ingle.

Tyree, a two-term member of the school board, is a life-long resident of Cumberland County, and is the daughter of Sarah Trent and Garfield Barksdale, Jr. She and her husband, Conrad, have two daughters, Octavia and O’Layna.

Ingle announced his endorsement for Tyree when he announced his retirement back in the spring.

“I am honored that Mr. Ingle thought of me for this position,” said Tyree. “I look forward to serving the citizens of Cumberland’s 3rd District in a new capacity, and will approach this position with the same passion that I have served on the school board.”

Tyree stands on four pillars: Integrity, Leadership, Commitment and Experience. She prides herself on making decisions with all citizens of the county in mind, and if elected will take that approach to the Board of Supervisors.

“I want to see Cumberland grow responsibly, while we maintain a high-quality of life,” said Tyree. “Of course, I will always champion Cumberland having the best school division possible, and I feel we can do so while managing our finances responsibly.

“My desire is for Cumberland to grow economically, where it can be self-sufficient. I want to see Cumberland have its own grocery store, doctor’s offices, dentist offices, and a greater variety of restaurants. We can achieve these goals through building upon our historical identity, and we can do all this without losing the identity of what makes our county great.”

A graduate of Cumberland County Schools, Tyree holds degrees in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Educational Leadership and Funeral Services.

She has worked in public education for 19 years, in addition to private enterprises. Presently, she is the lead teacher, job specialist, and webmaster at New HOPE Academy in Hopewell, where she was the school’s 2017 Teacher of the Year.

Tyree serves on several committees at Rocky Mount Baptist Church, where she is an ordained and licensed associate minister. She also serves on the board of trustees for Unity Community Church in Powhatan, and is a Cumberland Fair Association member.

Tyree believes in serving all of God’s people in any capacity. Earlier this year, she served on a mission trip to Haiti with the International Increase Ministry out of North Chesterfield.

“I’m a firm believer that prayer changes things, and all things are possible through Christ,” added Tyree.