Superintendent of Schools David J. Holleran introduced the new Thomas Hunter Middle School principal to board members and the audience at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Mathews County School Board. And to many it was a familiar face.

Laurel Byrd, the long-time Spanish teacher at Mathews High School and assistant principal at THMS for the past two years, was named to that school’s top administrative post during the meeting which was held in the MHS media center.

She replaces Mike Comer, who announced his retirement in February. Comer was middle school principal for the past four years, serving as assistant principal before that.

A 1989 graduate of Gloucester High School, Byrd received a degree in Spanish from Sweet Briar College. She taught two years in Gloucester before coming over to Mathews. In addition to teaching Spanish, she also served as a faculty mentor for the Teachers for Tomorrow program for students interested in pursuing a career in education.

"I l...