Chesterfield County School Board
The School Board is the five-member elected body that governs Chesterfield County Public Schools, one member from each magisterial district. It sets the school budget and policy and hires the superintendent. The current four-year term began January 2024.
Superintendent: Dr. John Murray, Superintendent of Chesterfield County Public Schools, appointed effective January 2025. The superintendent runs the division day to day and is hired by and reports to the board.
Midlothian DistrictChair
Lisa Martin Hudgins
Term: 2024–2027
Elected in 2023 and chosen board chair in January 2026. A retired, award-winning English and journalism teacher (Midlothian High and Hanover High) with a bachelor's in English and a master's in English education from VCU.
Campaign finance 2023 election cycle
$18,199Raised
$17,193Spent
$1,006Cash on hand
Top donors
- Emerson Ventures LLC$1,500
- Lisa Hudgins (self)$1,025
- Charles Floyd$1,000
- Susan Cheatham$1,000
- Chesterfield County Republican Committee$1,000
- Kumareshan Ramanathan$1,000
- Friends of Jim Ingle$500
- Robin Ross$500
- Chesterfield Forward PAC$450
- Andy Anderson$400
Full filing: Friends of Lisa Hudgins, VA Dept. of Elections ↗Matoaca DistrictVice-Chair
Steven A. Paranto
Term: 2024–2027
Elected in 2023 and chosen board vice-chair in January 2026. Spent nearly two decades in the logistics and supply-chain industry.
Campaign finance 2023 election cycle
$14,038Raised
$10,230Spent
$3,808Cash on hand
Top donors
- Friends of Kevin Carroll$2,600
- Richmond Build PAC$1,500
- William Baker$1,100
- Emerson Companies, LLC$1,000
- Oakbridge Corporation$1,000
- Chesterfield County Republican Committee$1,000
- James Womack$500
- Friends of Amanda Chase$500
- Friends of Mike Cherry$500
- Friends of Jim Ingle$500
Full filing: Friends of Steven Paranto, VA Dept. of Elections ↗Bermuda DistrictMember
Ann Crawley Coker
Term: 2024–2027
First elected in 2019 and now in her second term; she chaired the board in 2025. A product of Chesterfield schools, she has worked at ITAC for more than 20 years and holds a degree from Longwood University.
Campaign finance 2023 election cycle
$9,564Raised
$9,939Spent
$125Cash on hand
Top donors
- Industrial TurnAround Corp. (ITAC)$2,000
- George and Darlene Emerson$1,000
- Chesterfield County Republican Committee$1,000
- Realtors PAC of Virginia$750
- Patricia and James Crawley$500
- Gib Sloan$500
- Friends of Jim Ingle$500
- Huguenot Republican Woman's Club$375
- Friends of Mike Cherry$250
- Megan Carson$103
Full filing: Friends of Ann Coker, VA Dept. of Elections ↗Clover Hill DistrictMember (interim)
Dr. Jenna Darby
Term: Appointed 2026
Appointed interim Clover Hill representative effective January 2026, after Dot Heffron resigned in September 2025. She has 21 years in education and is adjunct faculty at VCU and the University of Richmond, with a doctorate in educational psychology from VCU. A special election will fill the remainder of the term.
Campaign finance
Appointed to the seat, so there is no campaign committee or donor record on file.
Dale DistrictMember
Dominique Renee Chatters
Term: 2024–2027
Elected in 2023, reported as the first Black woman elected to local office in Chesterfield County. A retired U.S. Army major who works as an educator for the Army Sustainment University, with degrees from Morgan State and Southern New Hampshire University.
Campaign finance 2023 election cycle
$29,955Raised
$24,672Spent
$5,282Cash on hand
Top donors
- Rene Cross (Bronx, NY)$3,046
- Mollee Sullivan (in-kind)$3,000
- Dominique Chatters (self)$2,815
- Vaughn Thompson$1,000
- Pamela Johnson$1,000
- Sarah O'Neill$1,000
- Barbara Favola (state senator)$1,000
- Glen Besa$675
- Jennifer Wesley$500
- Chesterfield Education Association$500
Some top contributions are in-kind (goods/services) rather than cash.
Full filing: Friends of Dominique Chatters, VA Dept. of Elections ↗Campaign-finance figures above are from the 2023 election cycle, the last time these seats were on the ballot. The next regular School Board election is November 2027; a special election for the appointed Clover Hill seat is expected before then. Figures will be updated when new filings are reported.
Meetings & how to weigh in
The board meets roughly monthly at the Public Meeting Room, 10001 Iron Bridge Road: work sessions around 4 p.m. and business meetings around 6:30 p.m. Meetings are carried on Comcast channel 98 and Verizon channel 28, livestreamed, and archived on the division YouTube channel. To speak, notify the School Board Clerk’s office by 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting; speakers are limited to four minutes (School Board Policy 1110). Clerk’s office: 804-348-8011.
Membership and contacts verified against the official CCPS School Board page. Campaign-finance figures are from each candidate’s 2023-cycle filings with the Virginia Department of Elections (public record); the listed donors are the largest itemized contributors, and the full filing is linked on each card. Dr. Darby was appointed, so she has no campaign committee. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
