Cooper, Martin and Whittington vie for interim seat on school board
District 4 candidates offer strong credentials and commitment to collaboration
The Orange County School Board will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, regarding the applicants for District 4’s interim representative. The meeting will begin with the three candidates introducing themselves to the community. Audience members who have signed up in advance can then weigh in with their comments. The candidates are Jenelle Cooper, O'Brian Martin and Tina Whittington.
School board clerk Laura Byram informed Byrd Street that the board plans to have a special meeting on Friday (May 2) to choose the winner. She said the time of that meeting will be finalized tomorrow (April 29).
Former District 4 representative Chelsea Quintern’s resignation on March 18 due to family reasons precipitated the current selection process. Two of the original seven applicants were disqualified, according to Byram, due to requirements stating that board members must live in the district they want to represent and can’t be current employees of the school division. As of Thursday (April 24), two other applicants had withdrawn from consideration, Byram said.
Cooper seeks to “focus on student development and achievement, support teachers, advocate for student safety”
In their application letters, the candidates discussed their respective strengths and goals as potential board members. Cooper wrote that through her experience in the financial/mortgage industry and as community service chair for her employer, “I have developed strong skills in fundraising and rallying community support. Citing her professional experience and involvement with Toastmasters, she said she’s been able “to lead through changes, opportunities and challenges.”
Cooper said that as a board member, she “would focus on student development and achievement, support teachers, advocate for student safety and encourage community involvement with the school board. I am eager to collaborate with fellow board members, educators, parents and the community to make informed decisions that benefit our students and prepare them for success.”
Martin: “I will champion continued investment in Career and Technical Education, workplace certification programs”
Martin, 21, is the youngest candidate and the only one who grew up in Orange County. In his lengthy letter, he recounted his achievements as a student leader at Orange County High School and Virginia Tech and described his work as a motivational speaker and entrepreneur running an event business called Phantom Field Attractions. At OCHS, he was the student announcer for sports events and a leader of the high school’s chapter of DECA, an organization preparing students for careers in business, marketing and hospitality. After graduating from OCHS, he served a term as high school division president of DECA’s international body.
At Virginia Tech, where he is slated to graduate in the fall of 2025, Martin has been the student body’s vice president for strategic affairs. Martin wrote, “In this role, I have worked across university departments to create student-focused policy, tackling rising costs and expanding access to education. I have partnered with President Tim Sands to advance the Virginia Tech Advantage—a presidential initiative aimed at making a Virginia Tech education accessible regardless of socioeconomic background.”
As for the school board, he said, “If appointed, I will champion continued investment in Career and Technical Education, workplace certification programs and the elevation of teacher support and retention. Because when Orange is the best place to work, it becomes the best place to learn. We must continue to advance the vision that Dr. [Daniel] Hornick has for developing district personnel. The development of these employees has a direct and tangible impact on student outcomes.”
Whittington presents her “strong skills in problem-solving, strategic planning, fiscal management”
Whittington’s application letter stresses her family ties to Orange County Public Schools, including four grown children who attended the local schools. With these family ties in mind, she wrote, “I am deeply invested in the quality of education our children receive and believe my background in executive-level management makes me well-suited to contribute to the board’s decision-making process.”
Citing her experience as executive vice president for Students for Life of America, an organization that seeks to “abolish abortion,” she said, “My 14+ years in executive non-profit management has equipped me with strong skills in problem-solving, strategic planning, fiscal management, communication, working in coalition, board management, managing conflict constructively and human resources. I would like to use these skills to effectively contribute to the board’s work, including reviewing budgets, developing policy and effectively communicating with educators, parents and community members.”
Q&A with District 4 interim candidates
To gain a deeper understanding of their backgrounds and qualifications, Byrd Street conducted the following email Q&A with the three candidates.
Where did you grow up?
Jenelle Cooper: I grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y.; moved to Virginia for high school.
O’Brian Martin: Orange County.
Tina Whittington: Portland, Ore.
Where did you graduate from high school?
Cooper: Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, 1998.
Martin: Orange County High School, 2021.
Whittington: Woodrow Wilson High School in Portland, Ore., 1993. (Now it is called Ida B. Wells High School.)
Where did you attend college, when did you graduate and what did you major in?
Cooper: George Mason University, N/A. Business Administration.
Martin: Virginia Tech, anticipated Fall 2025. Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Technology Management.
Whittington: Portland (Oregon) Community College, 1997. Oregon Transfer Degree, which is a general Associate of Arts Degree.
What is your current job/job title?
Cooper: Loan Servicing Team Lead at a well-known financial institution.
Martin: General Manager of Phantom Field Attractions and of a retail business, a multi-million-dollar enterprise.
Whittington: Executive Vice President for Students for Life of America.
How long have you lived in District 4?
Cooper: Fourteen years.
Martin: I am a lifelong resident of the Town of Orange and just recently moved to Locust Grove.
Whittington: Almost 19 years.
Have you attended any Orange County School Board meetings in person in the past year? If so, approximately how many have you attended?
Cooper: No.
Martin: Yes. As of declaring my candidacy, I have been to two in-person meetings.
Whittington: Not in this past year.
If you have not attended any local school board meetings in the past year, how have you kept informed of the key issues that the board has faced and will continue to face?
Cooper: Skipping this question.
Martin: While I’ve been attending school board meetings [in person and virtually], our campaign has also prided itself on making personal connections with voters on the campaign trail.
Whittington: I have been attending Orange County GOP meetings where we have been getting updates from school board members who have joined meetings to present and to keep us updated on developments.
Were you asked to apply for the interim position by a political party? If so, which one?
Cooper: No, I was not.
Martin: No. Our campaign has remained and will remain nonpartisan.
Whittington: Was asked (or kindly challenged) by a friend to jump in, not by a political party.
If chosen for the interim position, do you intend to bring partisan political views to your role?
Cooper: If chosen, I do not intend to bring a partisan political view to my role.
Martin: No. Our kids have been negatively impacted by partisan politics in our classrooms for far too long. Our campaign is focused on advancing the lives of the Orange County teachers, students and families—not politics.
Whittington: I would like to see political neutrality from the board. While we all bring our worldview and positions to the role, I don't think that our school system is the place for politics to play out, but a place where we should unify for the best for our students and teachers. I would like to see an environment where teachers do not put their thumbs on the scales in classrooms to put one political agenda over another, but let the kids discuss issues earnestly, learn critical thinking skills and how to forge forward together even when there is disagreement.
However, there are two specific political agendas I have seen crop up recently: (1) DEI efforts that disincentivize merit-based recognition and advancement. (2) Blocking of the rights of parents to know what is going on with their children in school. I would like to see these two things change.
Are you planning to run for a full board term in November? Why or why not?
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