In the only local race on the November ballot, D. Lorraine Forrest is running against Dr. Marianne “Mari” Gibbs for the one year remaining on Jeanice Sadler’s term on the Mathews County School Board.
Sadler stepped down in October 2021, too late for the vacancy to be placed on that year’s ballot. Forrest was appointed in December 2021 on an interim basis, until the next regularly scheduled election.
Friday was the deadline for applicants to file for the seat. Whoever wins this year will have to run again in 2023 if they wish to remain on the school board.
Lorraine Forrest
Although she didn’t win a seat, Forrest was appointed the following month on an interim basis to fill the vacancy created by Sadler’s resignation. Forrest, 67, of Port Haywood, is a lifelong resident of Mathews County, who graduated from Mathews High School in 1973. She is the daughter of Julius C. Forrest and the late Dorothy Morgan Forrest, both graduates of Thomas Hunter High School. Her son, Alex, also graduated from Mathews High School, and her grandson, Aiden, is starting fifth grade at Thomas Hunter Middle School this month.
A graduate of Rappahannock Community College in 1976 with a degree in business, Forrest is retired from a 39-year career with Dominion Energy Virginia. She is member of and active volunteer with Antioch Baptist Church, Susan. She has recently joined the Board of Directors of the Bay School Community Arts Center. She is the current president of the Continentals of Mathews County, and continues her volunteer work with Meals on Wheels.
“I have deep roots in Mathews County and am devoted to making our schools be the best they can be for all our children. I can sum up my agenda as ‘what is in the best interests of students’,” said Forrest. “Serving on the school board is an important civic duty that should be approached with an open mind and a pure heart. I strive to fulfill my responsibilities to best of my abilities.”
“I look forward to meeting many, many Mathews voters over this campaign season,” she said. “Please email me at Forrestformathewsschoolboard@gmail.com if there is something you want to tell me or a question you want to ask.”
Forrest ran in November 2021 for one of two vacancies on the Mathews School Board, receiving 1,810 votes which put her in third place behind Bobby Dobson (2,054) and Linda Hodges (2,041), who both won four-year seats
Mari Gibbs
Gibbs, 58, and her husband of 30+ years Scott have a daughter and son who live out of state. The couple has owned a home in North for eight years and lived in the county permanently for the past three years. “We are here to stay,” she said.
A registered occupational therapist, small business owner and educational speaker, Gibbs holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a Specialization in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix. She received her bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna College and her Master of Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University.
“I have made it my professional mission to support all students (General and Special Education) in public and private schools and Educational Service Centers (ESCs) throughout the United States since 2000,” she said. “Providing developmentally appropriate educational training to educators, administrators, and parents in order to improve individual educational outcomes beyond expectations has always been and will continue to be my passionate, unwavering goal.
“Serving to support our most precious resource—our children—and by extension, the productive, efficacious adults they will become is a very significant, exciting, and yet humbling responsibility. If selected … I pledge to apply positive energy, thoughtfully collaborate with the other school board members, and listen to community members with an open mind and heart at all times. The goal of elevating students, parents, educators, and administrators in Mathews County Public Schools is essential to the current and future well-being of our entire community. I believe the best is yet to come.”
She said her interest in serving on the school board is two-fold: “First, the desire to meaningfully support and elevate students, parents, educators and administrators in my home community and, second, the belief that I have substantial and qualifying experiences in the field of education that would contribute a unique perspective to the body of the existing school board.” Her campaign slogan is “Achievement through Transparency, Accountability, and Action!”
Gibbs is the creator of Write Out of the Box (https://writeoutofthebox.com), a business that supports the development of fine motor skills and writing readiness for children ages 3-6.
