School Board

The nine members of the Chesapeake School Board are elected to at-large seats and represent the entire city. They are elected to four-year staggered terms in November. The chairman and vice-chairman are elected yearly to their positions from the entire board membership to preside over meetings and represent the board at various events and ceremonial functions. The official duties of the School Board include:

  • Instituting policy development for the school division

  • Selecting the superintendent

  • Presenting the financial needs of the school division before the City Council

  • Overseeing the construction and maintenance operations for the school division

  • Supervising the budget, awarding contracts, determining salaries, and overseeing school division accounts

  • Approving the annual school calendar and school operating times

  • Determining school boundaries

  • Monitoring the employment, placement, and promotion of school employees based on the superintendent’s recommendations

Member Profiles

CHAIRMAN
Mrs. Angela B. Swygert
Term Expires: 12/31/2024

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

Angela Swygert

Angela Swygert was elected to the Chesapeake School Board in May 2020. Mrs. Swygert offers 25 years of financial and campaign management experience to the board. Having received a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from Old Dominion University in 1998, she has applied her management skills in both the financial and political arenas. She currently serves as the Vice President of Operations and Project Development of the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, a nonprofit headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia. Angela was born and raised in Chesapeake, graduated from Chesapeake Public Schools, and is a lifelong member of Deep Creek United Methodist Church. Married for 19 years to Chad, she is the mother of two children who are Chesapeake students.

VICE CHAIRMAN
Mr. Thomas L. Mercer, Sr.
Term Expires: 12/31/2024

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

Thomas L. Mercer, Sr.

Mr. Thomas L. Mercer, Sr. has been on the School Board since 1996. He was elected in May 1996 and re-elected in May 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. He served as Vice Chairman from 2002 to 2004, from January 2014 to June 30, and from January 2022 to December 2022. He also served as Chairman from July 2004 to July 2008. Mr. Mercer is a lifelong resident of Chesapeake and currently serves as pastor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Chesapeake. His previous pastorates were also in Chesapeake: Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church and Hickory United Methodist Church. Among his civic and leadership roles are the following: a member of the Hickory Ruritan Club, past Vice Chairman and past board member of the Chesapeake Care Free Clinic, member of the Board of Advisors of the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Foundation, and a member of the Great Bridge Clergy Association. Mr. Mercer graduated from Indian River High School and received an A.B. degree from Atlantic Christian College and a master of divinity from Duke University. Mr. Mercer and his wife, Susan, have four children who have graduated from Chesapeake Public Schools. They also have two grandsons; one of whom attends Chesapeake Public Schools.

MEMBER
Mr. Samuel L. Boone, Jr.
Term Expires: 12/31/2024

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

Samuel L. Boone, Jr.

Mr. Samuel L. Boone, Jr. was elected to the Chesapeake School Board in May of 2012 and re-elected in 2016 and 2020. Samuel L. Boone Jr. is a native of Portsmouth, Virginia, where he was raised by nurturing parents, Samuel Boone, Sr., and Janet Boone. He graduated from Manor High School in 1990 and, in 1995, earned a B.A. in Political Science from Norfolk State University. Now retired, Boone served the Virginia State Police with distinction for 25 years as a recruiter and Master Trooper. He was appointed by Governor Youngkin in April 2022 to serve as the Vice-Chair of the Virginia Parole Board. He is a faithful member of First Baptist Church South Hill. Boone is an active member of the Special Education Advisory Committee, board member of Educational Services of Hampton Roads, and a member of the ECPI Criminal Justice Board. He is also a member of the Virginia State Police Association. On September 11, 2001, Boone was called as a First Responder to the attack on the Pentagon. He was there within hours and spent three weeks there assisting the Red Cross, protecting the site, and was an eyewitness to the terrible injuries and loss of life. Boone is happily married to Zarmeta Boone, and they are proud parents of twin boys, Leon and Sammy, who attend Chesapeake Public Schools.

MEMBER
Ms. Amanda G. Dean
Term Expires: 12/31/2026

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

Amanda Dean

Ms. Amanda Dean was elected to the Chesapeake School Board in November 2022. Amanda is an Associate Partner at the top management consulting firm in the world. She focuses on advising, delivering, and executing multi-year supply chain transformation programs for large scale organizations. Amanda has spent her entire professional career in management consulting, where she has successfully delivered for the top fortune 500 companies across the globe. Bridging the gap between business and technology to improve every-day supply chain challenges, while never losing focus on the bottom line or the people that are impacted by these critical business decisions is where Amanda’s passion lies. She is a Chesapeake native and a proud graduate of Chesapeake Public Schools. Amanda earned a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Information Systems and Operations Management and Marketing, as well as a MBA with a Concentration in Project Management from George Mason University. Amanda has two young children and is proud of her family’s local business, Amazing Glazed, located in the heart of Great Bridge.

MEMBER
Mr. Michael K. Lamonea
Term Expires: 12/31/2026

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

Michael K. Lamonea

Mr. Michael K. “Mike” Lamonea was elected to the Chesapeake School Board in November 2022. Mr. Lamonea retired from federal law enforcement in September 2021 after 26 years of distinguished service as a Special Agent and Executive within the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, where he led the Norfolk and Richmond field offices for nearly a decade. He is currently employed as a Director with Juniper Networks, a global leader in computer networking and security solutions. Mr. Lamonea has also been a longtime active volunteer and has held several key leadership positions throughout Chesapeake and the Commonwealth. Most recently, he was appointed by Governor Youngkin in June 2022 to serve as the Chair of Virginia’s Human Trafficking Commission and also currently serves on Samaritan House’s Board of Governors. Mr. Lamonea’s past philanthropic service includes serving as the Chair of the Chesapeake Youth Committee and Chesapeake Youth Foundation, Vice-President of a special needs organization named Hope and Happiness (Mr. Lamonea has a brother with Down-Syndrome), and President of the Great Bridge Rotary Club. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and is happily married to his wife, Blaine, in their blended family with four active children – all of whom are enrolled in Chesapeake Public Schools.

MEMBER
Mr. John M. McCormick
Term Expires: 12/31/2026

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

John McCormick

Mr. John McCormick was elected to the Chesapeake School Board in November 2022. Licensed to practice law in Virginia and North Carolina, he is the founder and president of McCormick Law & Consulting. As a business and real estate attorney, he has been recognized as a Top Lawyer of Coastal Virginia, a Virginia Business Legal Elite, and Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Star. He is a board member and past-Chairman of Roc Solid Foundation, a local non-nonprofit that builds hope for children and families battling pediatric cancer, and has served as a Commissioner on the Chesapeake Planning Commission. Mr. McCormick received a Bachelor’s of Science from Liberty University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Regent University School of Law. He is married to Cynthia, who is a lifelong Chesapeake resident and graduate of Western Branch High. They are parents to four children and live in the Western Branch area of Chesapeake.

MEMBER
Mr. Norman Pool
Term Expires: 12/31/2024

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

Norman Pool

Mr. Norman Pool was elected to the Chesapeake School Board in November 2022. Mr. Pool is the CEO of NorthStar First Response, providing training for first responders, physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel. A 23-year veteran of the United States Navy, Mr. Pool also served the city of Norfolk for 23 years as a paramedic. He received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Business Administration Healthcare and a Master’s Degree of Executive Leadership, both from Liberty University. He and his wife, Susan, have lived in the Greenbrier section of Chesapeake for 22 years. They have five children: Jonathan, Jennifer, Sarah, Stephanie, and Ashley. His daughter, Ashley, attended the Science and Medicine Academy and is a graduate of Deep Creek High School. Mr. Pool is also a proud grandfather to five grandchildren: Noah, Joshua, Bryan, Michael, and Kelsey. His grandson, Bryan, is a senior at Oscar Smith High School.

MEMBER
Mrs. Kim A. Scott
Term Expires: 12/31/2026

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

Kim Scott

Mrs. Kim Scott was elected to the Chesapeake School Board in November 2022. She is a registered diagnostic medical sonographer specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her career in healthcare spans 16 years. Currently, she is the lead sonographer at Marina Shores OB/GYN. As lead sonographer, she is proud of the unique privilege and responsibility of introducing parents to their unborn children and providing crucial diagnostic information for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment of patients in various stages of life. Mrs. Scott is also dedicated to serving her community directly and through the outreach of her church, Greenbrier Church. She has led efforts to provide meals for at-risk families in Chesapeake, was the fundraiser chair for Youth Missions, served as church liaison for the Crisis Pregnancy Center’s Walk for Life, and was PTA president for Greenbrier Intermediate School. Mrs. Scott received an associate’s degree from John Tyler Community College, was certified in Radiologic Technology at Bon Secours School of Medical Imaging, and earned an associates degree in the applied science of Diagnostic Medical Sonography from Tidewater Community College. She is credentialed through the ARDMS in the specialties of AB/OB/GYN. She has been married to her Navy veteran husband for 17 years. They are parents to four children and reside in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake.

MEMBER
Dr. Brittany Walker
Term Expires: 12/31/2026

Address:
1421 Kristina Way
Chesapeake VA 23320

Dr. Brittany Walker

Dr. Brittany Walker was elected to the Chesapeake School Board in November 2022. With a career dedicated to pursuits in education, she has served Chesapeake Public Schools as both an elementary teacher and elementary assistant principal. She currently works in educational technology where she partners with colleges and universities nationwide to facilitate course developments and custom curriculum projects to support and improve the success of STEM students. Dr. Walker received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Kentucky, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University (ODU), and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from ODU. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Great Bridge with their children, Jameson and Addison, and are members of Great Bridge Baptist Church where they are proud to volunteer and serve in the Children’s Ministry.