6 vie for 3 school board seats in primary

The candidates include incumbents Bill Lanier and Angie Todd, and newcomers Doug Davis, David Green, Bill Halley and Daisy Haywood.

The top three vote-getters from the March 3 primary will run uncontested in the November general election.

The candidatesDavis was born and raised in Detroit and joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age 17, moving to Onslow County in 2009.

While in the military, Davis worked in logistics, and after retirement, went into civilian service. He’s also a husband and a father.

Green grew up in San Diego, where he ran an auto shop for 35 years, as well as several other businesses. He was also a realtor. He moved to Onslow County because his son was in the Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Geiger.

Green’s auto shop, which he moved to the area, was damaged by Hurricane Florence, in 2018, so he went to work for a local company to put his Commercial Driver’s License license to use. He now lives in Onslow County with his wife, who he married in June. He also has four grandchildren.

Green called himself an “unapologetic” conservative and said Christ is the center of his home.

Halley is originally from South Carolina but has lived in Jacksonville since 1979. He’s been married to his wife, Michele, for more than 50 years, with whom he has two adult children. Michele is also a sitting school board member, elected in 2024.

Halley retired from his job as a pipe fitter in 2023 and holds multiple certifications.

Haywood has lived in Onslow County since 1985. She has roots in New York City, where her parents met, her father being from Puerto Rico and her mother being from Cuba. She married her high school sweetheart, a U.S. Marine, which led to her move to Jacksonville.

Her background is in law enforcement, having worked as a school resource officer at Northside High School from 2002 to 2007 and as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer from 2007 to 2017. Haywood now works as a defensive driving instructor at Coastal Carolina Community College and in traffic court.

She met her now-husband working at the Jacksonville Police Department. They’ve been married 32 years and have four adult children, three who graduated from Onslow County Schools.

Lanier was born in Georgia but grew up in Springfield, Mass. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1976 and served 20 years before shifting to the Fleet Marine Corps Reserves in 1996.

He briefly worked in insurance and retail jewelry sales before finding work at Onslow County Behavioral Healthcare Services and becoming a community-based service paraprofessional. He also worked as an exceptional children’s teaching assistant for 12 years.

Lanier has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Campbell University and was married to his wife Mitsuko for about 34 years before her death in 2016.

Todd is originally from Ohio but moved to Onslow County in 2019 with her husband of 19 years, Adam, with whom she has four children and three grandchildren.

She is entering her 10th year in real estate and currently works with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage. She also volunteers as the director of the Onslow Families of Addicts support group and is a member of the Onslow County Opioid Settlement Task Force.

Todd is the chairman of the N.C. School Boards Coalition and a founding member of the N.C. Coalition of Conservative School Board Members. She’s also a member of the New River YMCA Board.

Candidate priorities

Davis said he is running for school board because he believes education should form free, informed citizens, rather than conditioned subjects.

He said his military experience has taught him accountability, discipline and how to lead under pressure, and that everything he does is guided by service, responsibility and a commitment to the community.

“Public schools exist to serve students and families, not systems, politics or trends,” Davis said. “Yet, too often, decisions are made far from the classroom and even farther from the Constitution.

“Students are increasingly taught what to think instead of how to think, while parents are sidelined from decisions that directly affect their children.”

Davis said his priorities include pushing decision-making back to the local level, restoring classical civic education and treating parents as partners rather than obstacles.

He said he wants to bring common sense back to education, put students first, restore parental trust and ensure schools reflect the values of the communities they serve.

“A system focused on testing, credentials and material outcomes without equal emphasis on civic responsibility, critical thinking and moral agency fails students,” Davis said. “We should be forming capable, grounded young adults who understand freedom, responsibility and the value of work, not binding them to systems they were never taught to question.”

Green is running for office because he said he’s always wanted to do something to help, and now that he’s retired, he has nothing but time. He said he’s an advocate for good, old-fashioned schooling.

Having worked as a real estate agent in San Diego, Green said he’s good at negotiations and working with people.

“That, to me, qualifies me for sitting down in group settings with people, board settings, and being able to negotiate with people, talk with people, come to some kind of a conclusion that works for everyone at the table,” he said. “So, I find myself very good at that, and I’m pretty good on my feet.”

Green was also a single father, making sure to show up for everything from Parent-Teacher Association meetings to sporting events. He said he thinks being on the school board befits him.

Priorities for Green, if elected, include making sure students are safe on campus, holding teachers responsible for performance and involving parents. He said he didn’t have an advocate as a child, so he wants to be one for local students.

“I want to make sure that the kids are getting the education that they need and that they deserve to give them a shot at life,” Green said. “That is really, honestly, one of the biggest things for me. I want to make sure that kids are being looked out for.”

Halley is running for office after attending all school board meetings and many student events during the past couple of years.

He said the role of school board member should be one of a partner and advocate, saying parents want access and openness now more than ever.

“Over the past two years, I have learned how to access financial reports, consent items and how to ask questions to promote positive dialogue,” Halley said. “Promoting community involvement is vital to improving our community.”

Priorities for Halley, if elected, include promoting opportunities like career credentialing, financial aid and Junior ROTC programs. He said students need counseling and options for life after high school.

Halley said keeping students safe needs to be at the forefront of the school board’s work, as should be promoting community involvement and listening to parents, educators and students.

“If a board meeting is dysfunctional, then the work is not getting done,” he said. “It is not about competition as a board member. It’s about rolling up our sleeves (and) listening to each other and the community to make our schools better.

“A board member must first seek to understand, serve and be visible. Partnership, advocacy, access and openness are key.”

Haywood said she is running for office because having children and grandchildren in local schools has provided her with an understanding of the expectations and partnerships needed for students to succeed.

She said she’s formed relationships with students, parents, teachers, support staff and principals.

“I want to continue to be a positive support to our students, educators and families,” Haywood said. “I want to be a part of moving Onslow County Schools toward the goals that will continue to enhance our children’s potential and their successes.

“I guess you can say I want to ensure the bridge we have between our students, parents and educators is strong and in operating working order.”

Lanier said he is running for reelection because people he trusts and support asked him to.

He said the Marine Corps helped him develop skills ranging from leadership to facilities management, logistical support and communication.

“Given my job experience, it’s very easy for me to assess functions of the school district with a comfortable level of understanding, interaction, policy and governance,” Lanier said.

If reelected, Lanier’s priorities include ensuring high educational outcomes for students, sound board engagement and governance, and parent and community education and involvement through parent-teacher organizations and community partnerships.

“My prayer is that the electorate maintains high moral values and uses common virtues as they consider their roles and interactions with the board, the district, their schools and have a keen understanding of how to navigate the system,” he said.

“As with all things, it’s about relationships.”

Todd said she is running again because she has much more to give, adding that despite many challenges during her four-year term, her focus, passion and determination to make a positive difference has never wavered.

A prime focus for her has been school and student safety.

“During my tenure, I have taken action on issues including licensure suspension of teachers that have been charged and/or convicted of sexual crimes against children, legislative changes to student searches and (the) use of metal detectors as a preventative measure for students bringing weapons into the schools,” Todd said.

She also said she helped delay Title IX regulations scheduled to be enforced in August 2024, started a mentoring program at area elementary schools called the “Lunch Bunch” and submitted a letter advocating for a rise in teacher pay to her colleagues, which was adopted as a board in December 2024 and sent to state legislators.

Todd also worked with board members and executive staff to create an EC resolution requesting adequate funding for the district, as well as a resolution asking for stricter punishment for crimes against children. Both were adopted by the board and sent to legislators, she said.

“I will continue to prioritize and advocate for safer schools and policies, taking the lead on executing necessary measures through collaborative efforts with the community, the district’s administration, local law enforcement, experts in the field, school districts across the state, school staff and teachers,” Todd said.

She said she will also continue to advocate for increased teacher pay and for a work environment where teachers are valued and respected.

Early voting for the March 3 primary begins Thursday.

Residents can vote early Feb. 12-13, Feb. 16-20 and Feb. 23-27 from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Early voting locations include the Onslow County Board of Elections, at 246 Georgetown Road in Jacksonville; the Jacksonville Commons Recreation Center, at 100 Recreation Lane; the Onslow County Museum, at 310 S. Wilmington St. in Richlands; the Sneads Ferry Public Library, at 1330 N.C. 210; and the Swansboro Recreation Center, at 830 Main St. Ext.