ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 1995 TAG: 9512120079
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
Salem City Council voted Monday to reappoint William Sinkler to the city's School Board and chose a pediatric nurse to fill the seat of board member Glenn O. Thornhill.
Sally Southard, who works at Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley, will move into Thornhill's position in January.
Thornhill decided not to seek reappointment after serving 15 years on the School Board.
Just before announcing its decision, City Council went into an executive session to decide on an appointment out of 15 applicants.
City Councilman Alex Brown said the large number of qualified applicants made the appointment one of the toughest council has ever had to make.
Brown said the council believed it was important for the applicant to have children in Salem schools.
Southard has a 9-year-old daughter in East Salem Elementary and a 5-year-old son who will begin school next fall.
Mayor Jim Taliaferro said council found no reason not to reappoint Sinkler, so that left one seat and 14 applicants.
Southard, who was born and grew up in Annapolis, Md., first moved to Salem in 1973 as a student at Roanoke College.
She graduated from Roanoke College with a psychology degree and then continued her education at the University of Virginia. There she received undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing.
Southard said she hopes to bring to the board her experience working with children as a pediatric nurse.
"I am dealing with children and families every day," she said. "I think I know a lot of their concerns."
Southard also served two years on the city's Family Assessing and Planning team.
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