News

School Board field grows to eight

By Bill Moss, Published: December 20, 2015

Michael Absher is making a fourth run for the Henderson County School Board, joining a crowded field of eight that includes all four incumbents. Filing closes at noon Monday. The election is on Nov. 8, 2016.

Also filing for election late last week were incumbent Mary Louise Johnston Corn, the retired teacher and West Henderson High School principal who is seeking a fourth term on the board; and Jared Michael Bellmund, of Etowah.

Also seeking School Board seats are incumbents Ervin Bazzle, an attorney and longtime chair who is seeking a sixth term; Rick Wood and Josh Houston; and Burton Henry “Burt” Harris, a retired pediatric surgeon and brigadier general; and Blair Craven, a Hendersonville High School graduate who is a financial adviser at Merrill Lynch.

Absher, a graduate of East Henderson High School, is CEO of Only Hope, a nonprofit agency that advocates for homeless teenagers. Recognized this year as one of Fortune 500’s “Heroes of the 500,” an award for compassionate civic leadership by employees of Fortune 500 (he’s a part-time bank teller at Wells Fargo), Absher and Only Hope announced last month they were opening their first house for homeless teens in January.
While Absher’s dedication to the cause has won him national publicity, the support of elected officials and thousands of dollars in donations it’s not yet translated into electoral success. He’s run for the School Board three times.