Lorraine B. Skeeter, Cypress Borough
July 1, 1993 – December 31, 2010

Lorraine Skeeter was appointed to the School Board in 1993 to represent the Cypress Borough. She has served as Chairman since 2002. Mrs. Skeeter is a Director at the Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project – better known as the STOP Organization. This community action agency is an umbrella for many programs, including Head Start and a variety of other projects that help families to become self-sufficient. Mrs. Skeeter oversees the vocational school and the Center for Employment and Training in Suffolk. A graduate of East Suffolk High School and Norfolk State University, Mrs. Skeeter and her husband had three children and two grandchildren graduate from Suffolk Public Schools. Three grandchildren are currently students in the schools. Active in the community, she has served as chairman of the Suffolk Industrial Development Authority, as a commissioner on the Suffolk Historical Landmarks board of directors, is an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Suffolk Chapter of Links, Inc. She was named an Athena Award winner by the Chamber of Commerce as woman of distinction in Suffolk.

James E. Perkinson, Sleepy Hole Borough
July 1, 1996 – December 31, 2008

James Perkinson was elected to the School Board in 1996 to represent the Sleepy Hole Borough. He has served as Vice Chairman since 2002. Mr. Perkinson is the Dean of Business, Public Services and Technologies at the Chesapeake Campus of Tidewater Community College, where he supervises campus programs and helps to develop academic courses to meet changing workplace requirements. A North Carolina native, Mr. Perkinson earned his bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and his graduate degree from Old Dominion University.  He and his wife had three children graduate from Suffolk Public Schools. Mr. Perkinson has received awards as Outstanding Industrial Arts Instructor for Virginia and outstanding faculty member for Tidewater Community College. He serves on career & technical education advisory committees for both Portsmouth Public Schools and Chesapeake Public Schools.

Sharon R. Harris, Whaleyville Borough
July 1, 2000 – December 31, 2008

Sharon Harris was elected to School Board in 2000 to represent the Whaleyville Borough.  She currently serves as secretary of the Tidewater Region of the Virginia School Boards Association, and the VSBA’s policy and resolutions committee. She recently retired as a downtown florist and tuxedo shop owner. She also is a 30-year veteran and retired chief warrant officer in the Army Reserve, where she served as a military intelligence instructor. A native of Baltimore and graduate of Rutgers University, she moved to Suffolk in 1982. Her son graduated from Suffolk Public Schools, and both her son and daughter currently serve in the military. Mrs. Harris has a granddaughter and two stepsons who attended Lakeland High School, a grandson attending Nansemond River High School, and a grandson attending John Yeates Middle School. Active in the community, she has served as president of the Kiwanis Club of Suffolk and is its current president-elect. She has also served on the Fifth Judicial Justice Committee and been an active partner-in-education at two Suffolk schools.

John R. Riddick, Sr., Nansemond Borough
July 1, 1996 – December 31, 2008

John Riddick was elected to the School Board in 1996 to represent the Nansemond Borough. Mr. Riddick is retired from Newport News Shipbuilding, where he worked for 23 years in the field of ship design. A 1946 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, he served in the Air Force and attended Hampton Institute. As a deputy sheriff for Nansemond County, he had the opportunity to meet Martin Luther King, Jr. during his visit to Suffolk. Mr. Riddick and his wife had three sons graduate from Suffolk Public Schools. Active in the community over the years, he has served on the Nansemond County Social Services Commission and the Suffolk Planning Commission. He brings to the current School Board some experience – because he served for four years on the Nansemond County School Board and then the Suffolk City School Board during the county-city merger from 1972 to 1976. Mr. Riddick is a member of the local NAACP and a former member of American Legion Post 99.

William L. Whitley, Chuckatuck Borough
July 1, 1992 – December 31, 2010

William Whitley was appointed to the School Board in 1992 to represent the Chuckatuck Borough. He worked for 33 years with Suffolk Public Schools, as a teacher, assistant principal, and then for 22 years as principal of John Yeates High School.  He earned his degrees from Randolph Macon College and the College of William and Mary. His wife also retired from Suffolk Public Schools as an instructor with Obici’s School of Practical Nursing. They have two sons who graduated from the school division, and a granddaughter who is currently in fourth grade at Oakland Elementary School. After retiring in 1990, Mr. Whitley worked for 10 years with Rountree Construction Company, where he was in charge of the employee safety program. Active in the community, Mr. Whitley is a former member of the Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department. He is a member and past president of the Chuckatuck Ruritan Club, where he has 41 years of perfect attendance.

Enoch C. Copeland, Holy Neck Borough
July 1, 2006 – December 31, 2010

Enoch Copeland was elected to the School Board in 2006 to represent the Holy Neck Borough. He is a retired educator with Suffolk Public Schools, where he taught 7th-grade social studies, served as principal of Oakland Elementary School, and worked as a middle school guidance counselor and home/school coordinator. Copeland graduated from Nansemond County Training School, which is now Southwestern Elementary School, in 1953. His son graduated from Forest Glen High School. Copeland earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Union University, his master’s degree from Hampton University, and his certificate of advanced studies from Old Dominion University. Active in the community, Copeland is a leader at Laurel Hill United Church of Christ, a life member of the NAACP, and a charter member the Portsmouth/Suffolk Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He has recent awards from each of these groups, including the NAACP King S. Bishop Service Award in 2000.