New School Board Member Profiles

The following individuals were appointed to the Rural Special and Timbo School Boards to serve during the transition period as the districts detach from Mountain View School District and re-establish independent districts

Rural Special School Board and Superintendent

• Position 1: Renee Rushing Carr, retired Certified Public Accountant, former nonprofit executive director. BBA Accounting. MS Community & Economic Development. Rural Special School graduate. Board member and treasurer for local nonprofit Rural Educational Heritage Inc. Founder of Arkansas Quilt Trails. Member of Committee of One Hundred for the Ozark Folk Center.
•  Position 2: Dustin Stewart, Shelter Insurance agent. Co-Owner/operator AARD Investments and JSP Transportation. BSE Health and Physical Education. Rural Special School graduate. Rural Special School Booster Club Treasurer-chaired committee raising $266,000 for gym remodel in 2024. Stone County Scholarship Foundation Vice President. First Service Bank advisory board member. 
• Position 3: Dan Morrison, Rural Special graduate, married to a RS graduate. Father of two RS students. Cattle and logging business. Real estate investor. Experience with acquisitions and budgeting.
• Position 4: Trilla Kennedy, Lead Quality Assurance Advisor, USAA. 25 years with the company. BS Business. Professional Designations: Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI), Certified Project Manager (CPM). Lead Coordinator of  USAA P&C Winning in Leadership: Action Learning.Former sponsor of  Odyssey of The Mind for San Antonio Elementary and Pasco Middle School (Florida). Parent of Rural Special students.
•  Position 5: Roger Hipp, retired Rural Special High School teacher (39 years), Social Studies and Health, former Beta Club and Quiz Bowl sponsor, track coach. BSE Social Studies. Rural Special School graduate.
• SUPERINTENDENT: Dr. Delena Thompson, retired educator. Graduate of Marshall High School. BSE University of Central Arkansas. MS Educational Leadership-UCA. Doctorate of Education-UALR. Ten years as a coach. 15 years as a school administrator; Central Baptist College Professor and Education Chair. Education consultant. Parent of two Rural Special School graduates.

Timbo School Board

• Position 1: Melissa Sutton is a proud graduate of Timbo School. As the parent of a fourth grader and a long-time PTO member, she has remained deeply involved in supporting students, teachers, and school programs. Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree and is currently pursuing her MBA. She brings unwavering passion, tenacity, and a strong voice for small schools and rural communities. She believes rural schools are the backbone of their communities and is committed to making sure they are seen, supported, and never overlooked. Melissa is dedicated to strengthening schools through transparency, community involvement, and a relentless focus on creating opportunities for every student to succeed.
• Position 2: Ilse Jordan is a stay-at-home mom to a fourth grade student at Timbo Elementary and a volunteer firefighter with the Oxley Fire Department. She is passionate about supporting her local school and serving her community.
• Position 3: Karen Powell Ross a 1981 graduate of Timbo High School. She is a retired educator with 30 plus years in Stone County schools. She is married to Steve Ross, a graduate of Rural Special, who is also a retired educator with over 30 years in Stone County. She has two grandsons attending Timbo Elementary. She is very passionate about supporting her community and Timbo School.
• Position 4: Jonathan Schrock is a father of two at Timbo School, a local farmer, and a builder by trade. A longtime PTO member, he knows hard work, grit, and getting the job done. Jonathan is ready to bring that same steady, no-nonsense dedication to the school board and his community.
• Position 5: Brenda Lewis attended Timbo School 1st grade through her senior year. She married and moved to Searcy Co. and retired from the US Postal Service with 34 years. Brenda has two sons, Mitch retired from the Navy and is now employed by the MVSD, and Justin is a Postal Inspector and lives in Kansas City. Brenda has strong roots in Stone and Searcy Counties and is very interested in small schools and the one-on-one attention each child receives.

Read more about the school districts, including action taken at the initial meeting of the Rural Special Board, in the March 25 issue.