James Grigsby

Jim Grigsby, who represents Districts 13 and 14, brings to the board a willingness to listen to all sides of an issue in order to come to a common-sense decision.

Grigsby, who has been with the Farm Bureau in insurance sales for the past two decades, is a graduate of Bearden High in Knoxville and holds a BS degree in marketing from UT.

His goals for the Hamblen County Department of Education are to improve communication and relationships between the administration and the community. He believes the dedicated administration and its commitment to the education of Hamblen County students is one of the system's strong points.

His emphasis is placed on staff development --putting in place the programs that will raise standards and expectations of educators.

He will focus on developing programs that will help all students reach their full potential and finding adequate funding to meet all needs in the education process.

His dream is to help parents and the community realize that the education process involves not just the school system but also the positive support and input of the entire community.

During his tour of the schools during Back To School Week,   he was impressed by the commitment he saw from so many of the teachers.

Grigsby has been married to the former Susan Stutts for 20 years.  They have a daughter,  Caroline, a freshman at West High, and a son, Kyle, a third grader at Manley.

His hobbies include playing golf, especially with his children. He also enjoys watching his children participate in all sports.

His civic and church activities include holding past positions with  Red Cross and serving on his church's finance and long-range planning committees.

Content and Photography courtesy of Teresa Ayers