Getting To Know Our School Board Members
Dr. Mike Brown represents District Two and serves as the Vice-Chairman of the School Board. He earned his Doctorate from the University of Arkansas and brings forty-six years of experience in education to his role. Dr. Brown was the President of the National Principals Association in 1997 and has ten years of involvement in virtual education, owning a virtual education organization based in Missouri. Additionally, he has served a four-year term as the Mayor of Oakland.
Dr. Brown and his wife, June, have been married for fifty-six years. June enjoyed a thirty-five-year career as a teacher. They have two children: Kristi, a teacher of fifteen years, and Bryan, who taught Physical Education for three years before transitioning to a business career.
Dr. Brown has three primary goals for Fayette County Public Schools. His first goal is to help the district get released from the Desegregation Consent Order, believing that doing so will expand educational opportunities for students and help them thrive. His second goal is to guarantee that FCPS delivers the highest quality education to give all students a strong foundation for success. His third goal is to provide every student in Fayette County—whether in public, private, or homeschool environments—with a robust educational base to support their future achievements.
School Board Member Melanie McGuire represents District Three. Mrs McGuire has dedicated over 15 years of service to Fayette County and the Public School System in many capacities. She was the past President of the Fayette County Education Association, a former candidate of the SCORE TN Educator Fellowship program, a current Leadership Fayette participant, an active member of the TN Education Association, and sits on the Board for the Dewitt Community Center. Her work and training in the fields of education, mental health, and school counseling have developed her holistic perspective on the many factors that impact student success.
In her role as a school board member she has had many conversations with parents, teachers, and other community members, which has presented her with a wide range of topics. Mrs. McGuire wants to ensure students, families, and educators are included in decision making processes. She stated “All members of the educational community should work together to build lasting solutions, be held accountable, and work toward equity, inclusion, and excellence for all populations in our schools.”
Being an advocate for all students, Mrs. McGuire is dedicated to seeing Fayette County Public Schools as a place where all students thrive, all staff feel supported, and parents engage as partners in their child’s education.
Merrel Miller, School Board Member for District One, attributes his success to God's guidance and grace. Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, he was the son of a humble hardware store owner with only a sixth-grade education. After attending public schools in Kansas City, Merrel earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kansas. During his high school years at Wyandotte High School, Merrel met his wife, Kathy, with whom he is celebrating 55 years of marriage. Together, they have a son, and their three grandchildren bring immense joy.
Merrel's career began at Procter & Gamble’s Kansas City Soap Plant, where he steadily rose through various roles. He eventually became Plant Manager at several locations, including the Memphis Pulp Mill, the Folgers Plant in Texas, and the Pringles Plant in Tennessee. Under his leadership, the Pringles Plant gained global recognition, becoming the only U.S. plant in P&G history to win the prestigious TPM Prize of Excellence, awarded in Yokohama, Japan.
Beyond his professional career, Merrel pursued many personal interests. He became a pilot and volunteered for Angel Flights, offering free transport to patients requiring distant medical care. He also enjoyed skiing, cycling, and traveling with family and friends. In retirement, Merrel focuses on his hobbies, including building an N-Scale train layout and astrophotography, for which he constructed an observatory in his backyard. He currently serves as Treasurer for the Memphis Astronomical Society and leads its Astrophotography group.
Merrel is dedicated to community service. Over the years, he has volunteered for organizations like Memphis Literacy, Boys & Girls Clubs, and caring for the financial concerns of senior citizens. His passion for giving back to the community led him to serve as President of the West Fayette Republican Club, which brought him to his current role on the School Board. He is committed to using his experience managing large organizations to positively impact the education of Fayette County's children, helping shape a better future for the county and the nation.
David Reeves serves as School Board member for District Two. Mr. Reeves grew up in the small town of Euless, Texas, in North Texas. After attending Euless Trinity High School, he moved to Memphis, where he enrolled at the University of Memphis and later earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Bethel University. His career began at United Parcel Service as a load supervisor, but he soon transitioned to law enforcement, serving as a police officer with the Memphis Police Department. Throughout his career, he has worked in Uniform Patrol at various precincts, including Union, Old Allen, Appling Farms, and Austin Peay. He has also been part of several precinct-level task forces. For the majority of his career, Mr. Reeves was assigned to the Organized Crime Unit, specializing in criminal apprehension and vice/narcotics. He has received numerous commendations for his work, which has been recognized by the Memphis City Council. Currently, he serves as a Detective in the General Investigation Bureau at the Austin Peay Precinct. In addition to his law enforcement career, Mr. David Reeves proudly represents District 2 and is committed to improving the school system.
Hal Rounds serves District Three and is the School Board TLN representative. Hal Rounds was born and raised in California, attending public schools in Los Angeles. He earned a degree in Economics from the University of California. Mr. Rounds served in the United States Air Force, where he achieved the rank of Captain and was awarded the Bronze Star with a "V" device for valor during his year in Vietnam. After his military service, he joined Federal Express, relocating to Tennessee and retiring after 25 years with the company.
Rounds later graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law and is a member of the Bar for the Supreme Courts of Tennessee and the United States. Active in political and civic affairs, he has written for various publications, including Aviation Week, Mensa Magazine, The New American, and the Fayette Falcon, where he has a weekly column. His in-depth study of the Constitution and American history led to nationwide presentations of his “Constitution Refresher,” including a notable event at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara.
He is the author of American History as a Political Tool, a critique of the College Board curriculum, available on Amazon. In 2018, he was appointed to the Tennessee Textbook Advisory Panel, where he helped review and approve textbooks, including one currently used in Fayette County Schools following corrective edits.
School Board Chairman Warner Speakman represents District 3 and highly values the education, health, and safety of each and every student in Fayette County. Mr. Speakman has been affiliated with Fayette County Public Schools since 2011. He was selected by the School Board in 2011 to be an FCPS Representative during the building of Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School and continued to manage some projects and do consulting for several years after the completion of BCES. He has a wide range of work experience: TN General Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Arkansas Master Electrician, Security Licensure, and he has been a managing partner in a design and consulting firm for the past 30 years. Mr. Speakman was educated in Alabama schools, is a military veteran and has been married for 53 years. He served as an apprentice in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #58 in Detroit Michigan and graduated as a Journeyman. He continued his night school education in Southfield, Michigan at a technical college and graduated with an Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree. Mr. Speakman then moved to Knoxville, Tennessee where he worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in their Engineering Design group and specialized in electronics and communications.Mr. Speakman has an especially keen interest in our Fayette-Ware Comprehensive High School CTE program and is looking to expand the offerings it now has. He hopes to serve FCPS as a positive factor in the technical, financial, and academic offerings of our school system. His goal is to lay a solid foundation in order to open doors for our students both while they are in school and after graduation.
Becky Trimm serves as school board member for District One. As a mother, grandmother, and proud resident of Fayette County, Mrs. Trimm is deeply committed to the success and well-being of our children and schools. Her decision to run for the Fayette County School Board stems from a strong desire to advocate for parents and ensure their voices are heard in shaping the future of their children. Growing up in a military family, she had the unique experience of living in different parts of the world, which gave her a broad perspective on both education and community. Mrs. Trimm is particularly concerned about the current direction of our schools and believes that now, more than ever, we need strong leadership that prioritizes the needs of our students and families. She is dedicated to creating a school environment that promotes academic excellence, integrity, safety, and accountability.
James Vlasaty is in his first year of serving District Two as a school board member. He has lived in Oakland for the past twenty years. Mr. Vlasaty graduated top of his class from the NCO Academy, Staff NCO academy and the Senior Staff NCO academies, Logistics Management school, Contracting Officer School, Budget and Finance School. He retired after 21 years of honorable service from the United States Marine Corps as a Master Sergeant. While serving in the USMC, he was a Marine Security Guard at the American Embassy Prague CSSR, American Consulate Alexandria Egypt and American Embassy Ankara Turkey, a Customs Officer for MCB Okinawa, Japan, and his last duty station was the Military District of Washington, D.C. After retirement, Mr. Vlasaty went to work for the Homeland Security Department in Memphis as a Program Analyst where he implemented and managed budgets, procurement, fleet, information technology, asset procurement and control, HAZMAT, EPA, OSHA, and Environmental Recycling and Sustainable programs. He then retired after fourteen years in that position.
Mr. Vlasaty has thirty-five years of experience in the federal government consisting of time spent in multiple departments and various aspects within each department. His roles included: Marine Security Guard and Detachment Commander for President Ronald Reagan in Madrid, Spain; Finance Officer, managing and accounting for $362,000,000.00 annual Budgets, Procurement Contract development, negotiations to Contract Implementation; Contracting Officer monitoring 4,320 active contracts daily. His assignments included: audits with zero discrepancies on budgets and spending; reduction in fraud, waste, and abuse of $6.3 million in one year for which he was awarded the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Program Analyst where he oversaw and implemented EPA Regulations into daily operations; OSHA Representative where he as a Hazmat Officer managed and accounted for a $142,000,000.00 annual budget, $65,000,000.00 asset control and management program, fleet management, procurement card program, and worked with industries to develop biobased plastics to incorporate into the organizations’ daily functions and reduce waste by 90% through donation and recycling programs (receiving the “gold” standard award for 7 consecutive years).
Myles Wilson is in his first year of serving District One as a school board member. He has a rich educational history in Fayette County stemming back to 1951 when he enrolled in Wirt Elementary School in Oakland. He graduated from Fayette County Training School in 1963 and began his teaching career at William Penn Ware High School several years later. His educational career has included various positions including teacher, coach, athletic director, assistant principal, principal, and superintendent of schools. While serving here in Fayette County, Mr. Wilson has held many leadership positions including president of the Fayette County Education Association and president-founder of the Fayette County chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. Highly involved in the local community, Mr. Wilson served on the Fayette County Commission for 28 years, is a board member of the Bernard Community Center, and is involved with the Fayette County Citizens for Progress, E-911 Board, NAACP, and the Memphis Health Center (Rossville) Dewitt Center. Please read more about Mr. Wilson here. Mr. Wilson has a vested interest in the community and the people of Fayette County. “I sincerely hope that all families in School Board District One and the entire Fayette County community continue to be blessed. I’m hoping that all of those who have had heavy burdens this year have their load lightened. I see the future of education for our people to be very bright.”