I was born and raised in the Yorkville community and graduated from Yorkville Junior High in 1985 and Gibson County High School in 1989.  I married Michael Welch in 1990 and we purchased a house and made our home in Yorkville where we have been for almost 18 years.  We have two children, Maddie, age 11 and Rebecca, age 7. 

I have been employed at Komatsu America Corp. in Ripley, TN for 18 years.  During this time, I have held various roles and am currently the Materials Manager for Komatsu's Parts Operations.  While working full-time, I attended college at night and obtained both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree of Business Administration.

Gibson County Special School District has an excellent school system that we should all be proud of.  Our teachers and administrators have accomplished unprecedented results in recent years. As we prepare today for our tomorrow, it is critical that our board continues to recognize the changing needs of students and should strive to prepare them for the higher expectations they will face in college and/or the workplace. 

Some of my beliefs concerning the school board’s role in educating our children are as follows:

• I support the mission of GCSSD which is to provide our students with a quality education in a safe learning environment, where teachers teach our children not just how to walk but where to walk.

• I recognize the board’s responsibility to balance conflicting objectives of financial stewardship and leading edge education.

• I believe education is a partnership between the school system, communities, and parents.

• I believe that students should receive a quality education experience that sets high expectations, offers positive encouragement, and are treated with respect. 

I was born in Jackson, TN and lived in Rutherford, TN until I was about two years old. My family moved to Dyer, where I grew up, attended school and graduated. With a solid education, I went on to receive my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in 1986.

I am married to Gwynne, whom I met in college. She teaches Kindergarten in the Gibson County School District. We have two boys, John Michael, fourteen and William Clayton, seventeen.

After marriage, my wife and I moved to South Carolina for a couple of years to further my career.   Upon returning to the West TN area, moving to Gibson County was an easy choice. The people, the weather, the pace of life, the cost of living, you name it, and that was a reason to come back.

When the I heard that Mr. Hayes wasn’t going to seek re-election to his seat for Gibson County School District Trustee for District 3, I was concerned. “Who’s going to take his place?” was my initial thought. Then I was ironically approached a few weeks later by several citizens about running. After serving in the Dyer School PTO and Athletic Booster club, I suppose this seemed only appropriate. I again had been given an opportunity to “give back” to my community.

My focus and desire for our school system is to continue to grow and provide a quality education for our children, in a safe and nurturing environment. In doing so, I feel that Gibson County’s School System is and will continue to be a very strong and important part of the long-term health of our communities and the children that we prepare for this world as adults. 

My husband Greg and I moved to the Spring Hill community when our boys, Syler and Sydney, were 2 years old in 1995. Since 2000, I have worked for The Arc of Tennessee in Nashville. . Currently, I work on the Secondary Transition project. See http://www.thearctn.org/Secondary-Transition-Project.php for more information. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Master's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Tennessee at Martin.

I love the idea of small community schools and hold the responsibility of serving as a school board member near and dear to my heart.

• I believe that board members must work collaboratively and be strong advocates of high quality public education for all Gibson County Special School District students.

• I believe public schools must meet the individual educational needs of all students regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex or socioeconomic standing.

• I believe that the school board's responsibilities include policy-making, educational and financial planning, and evaluation along with community involvement.

My name is Steven Tate and I am honored to serve on the Gibson County Special School District Board of Trustees. I have lived in the Kenton community all of my life. I attended Kenton School through the 8^th grade. I graduated from Gibson County High School in 1991. My wife, Wendy and I have two daughters, Riley Jo and Molly. We attend First Baptist Church in Kenton, where I serve as Minister of Music. Both girls attend Kenton School and will move on to Rutherford at the appropriate time.  I am the owner of Tate's Food Rite in Maury City, Tn.  Wendy is a dental assistant in Kenton. I serve on the Tennessee Grocers Association Education Foundation board of trustees where we manage over one million dollars in assets used to award scholarships each year to students throughout the state.

I feel very fortunate to serve as a trustee on the school board. There are so many positive things going on in our district. I am very thankful for all of our community schools. Our schools are truly the heartbeat of our communities. I encourage everyone get involved in their schools.  I feel that it is our responsibility to provide the best education in the safest environment possible for our children. I promise to seek God’s direction to make the very best decisions possible based on what I feel is best for the students and tax payers of our district. I appreciate everyone on the board and I look forward to serving with you!

Sara Meals has been on the GCSSD Board since 2001 and has been Chair since 2002.  She represents Position 6, the community of Gibson and the surrounding area.  She wants and desires the school district to be a successful school system by seeking input from principals, teachers, students, parents, and communities; by a working, trusting relationship among all stakeholders; and by a vision to provide the highest standards for both teachers and students.  She believes that schools are a community’s biggest asset and that we should strive to keep our community schools. 

I was born in Huntingdon, TN and lived there until graduating high school. Then I obtained a bachelor degree in Civil Engineering and went into the highway construction industry primarily building bridges. I am currently Vice-President of Britton Bridge, LLC.

My wife Debbie and I have two children in the Gibson County Special School District. Hayden is a sophomore at South Gibson, and Sarah Grace, a seventh grader at Medina Middle School. We have lived in Medina for over 10 years.

I think our youth is our most valuable resource. I am been very active in our community‘s youth athletics. I have coached many sports and also been on the board of directors for the Medina Baseball Association and the City of Medina Parks & Recreation.

 I am very passionate about all students having the best education that can be provided. I have a strong desire to see our school system excel in all areas of education. Our job on the board is to make sure this happens, by providing the best resources needed and in the safest environment for our children. I will work very hard to accomplish this task.