Two candidates emerge for Brookland School Board seat

A day after two-term Brookland District School Board member Beverly Cocke announced that she won't seek a third term, two political newcomers have announced that they will seek the seat.

Kristi Kinsella, who co-founded Equitable Advocates (a citizen group that champions better educational opportunities for Henrico students), and Jackson Knox, an outreach coordinator at the University of Richmond, each made their plans public in written statements.

Kinsella wrote that she's running for the same reasons that led her to help create the advocacy group.

"I believe we live in one of the best counties in Virginia, but we still have work to do in our schools to reduce overcrowding and lower student to teacher ratios, restore core funding, and ensure we are recruiting and maintaining the best and brightest teachers and leaders," she said. "I am excited about connecting with voters this year and earning the trust necessary to be their voice and lead our schools."

Knox, who serves as the Brookland representative on the Henrico County Library Board and has served on the Henrico County Grievance Panel, Henrico Schools Strategic Planning Committee and as a member of the Henrico Citizens Academy, has three priorities:

• preparing students for a global workplace;
• implementing a sustainable "green" plan for Brookland schools;
• attracting and keeping top teachers.

“​As the proud son of a single mother who worked tirelessly as an educator, I believe that the vitality of a community is dependent on the success of its schools,” Knox wrote.

Kinsella is married with three children who attend schools in the Brookland District. She also graduated from schools in the district and later from VCU. She has served as a volunteer in her children’s schools and their PTAs and has served on various HCPS committees.

Knox is a University of Richmond graduate who has served two terms as the Brookland District chair for the Henrico Democrats. He moved to Henrico six years ago.

Candidates for School Board do not run with party affiliations, so there are no primaries. All eligible candidates compete in the general election in November.