Austin was appointed to the School Board in 2016 to finish the final year of the late Kathy Graham Sullivan’s term. “It was an honor to be appointed for Kathy’s final year. I considered her a friend and I wanted to emulate her passion for students while bringing my own contributions to the board while serving the hometown that I love.” Austin was then elected in 2017 for a four-year term.
“I’ve learned a tremendous amount about public education over the past several years. And, I have also learned that public servanthood is demanding,” she said. Austin could not have predicted navigating a school division in the midst of a health pandemic when she took her oath of office. “Obviously, the past 12 months have not been what I was expecting in this role, but it was the circumstances in which I had to step up and face. The pandemic has demanded a tremendous amount of personal time for all of the decisions that came our way,” Austin said. In addition, in the past 12 months the School Board hired its current superintendent, Dr. Jonathon Russ.
Leading a school division is not Austin’s only time demand. As an executive at Bank of Botetourt, she witnessed the bank grow $100 million in total assets during the COVID-19 pandemic. “My role has intensified as result,” Austin said, speaking of her duties as chief financial officer. In addition, unexpected changes in her personal life made the past 12 months even more challenging. “Despite some unexpected personal changes, I am blessed in many ways,” she said.
Austin goes on to say, “One huge blessing in the middle of the pandemic and personally challenging year is the opportunity to work with the existing School Board members of Anna Weddle, Dana McCaleb, Tim Davidick, and Matt East. I feel like I now have a lifetime bond with those four individuals.”
Austin admits that one term is not long enough to leave the kind of mark she anticipated when she ran in 2017, but she was happy to help as many families and educators as she could. “My constituents from the Buchanan District have been nothing but respectful, kind, and supportive during very unprecedented times. Like other school divisions, we could not make everyone happy with the hard decisions we faced. However, residents from the Buchanan District were always professional and polite in our interactions,” she said.
Austin will continue on the School Board until her term expires December 31, 2021.
