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Mrs. Hairston was elected on November 5, 2019. She retired from Bedford County Public Schools in June 2018 having served for twenty-five years as a principal of Otter River Elementary School for nine years, Bedford Primary School ten years, and assistant principal of Staunton River Middle School for six years. Mrs. Hairston earned her Bachelor of Science degree in education and special education from West Virginia State University and her Master’s Degree plus an additional twenty credit hours in school administration from Virginia Tech. Mrs. Hairston’s personal experience and involvement in public education spans over thirty-seven years. She has taught both elementary, middle, and special education students. During her tenure and leadership as principal of Otter River Elementary, the school received the State Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award for two years, the State Board of Education Competence to Excellence Award for two years, and the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence. Mrs. Hairston and her husband Ben reside in Bedford and are the proud parents of two Liberty High School graduates.

This school board member’s biography was taken from the Bedford County Public School’s website.