Collierville High alumna Keri Blair is seeking election to the school board seat held by Frank Warren.

Heath Hudspeth and Jeremy Smith are also seeking the Position 4 seat. Warren announced last week he was withdrawing from the race.

Heath Hudspeth to run for Collierville’s open school board seat

All three candidates have submitted their petitions to the Shelby County Election Commission with sufficient signatures, securing their names on the November ballot.

Blair was born in the Louisville, Kentucky, area, but she moved to the Tennessee town in her junior year. She graduated from Collierville in 1998 and received her bachelor’s in psychology from Union University before pursuing nonprofit work, beginning with an internship with the American Cancer Society.

She has spent the past 17 years with a pharmaceutical company, and she is pursuing her master’s from the University of West Alabama.

Blair’s daughter, who dances competitively through a local studio, is entering third grade at Collierville Elementary.

“I believe a mother needs to be on the board who has active children in the school district,” she said, noting the board has parents of middle and high school students. “We need an elementary, middle and high school voice, and I will be that representative at the elementary level.”

Frank Warren will not seek another term on Collierville school board

Blair is passionate about supporting teachers. She has been part of the PTA and also independently looked for ways to encourage educators.

“I believe wholeheartedly in supporting our teachers,” she said. “Our PTA does amazing, but we need outside groups independently to tell them ‘Thank you.’”

Pandemic-related restrictions have limited opportunities in recent years, she noted. Blair said she is selective in the causes to which she dedicates herself, but when she believes in an effort, she devotes time and energy toward it. She recently did a cross-country bike ride in which she raised $5,000. Her passion, she said, is evident in the time it took to train and raise funds.

Locally, she is involved in the Conservative Women of Collierville.

Blair noted her family comes first. They attend Grace Valley Church in Collierville. She believes after family and faith, everything else falls into its rightful place.

Two likely to challenge Collierville School Board incumbent

Nov. 8 is Election Day for municipal races in Collierville. In addition to Position 4, Position 2 — held by Wanda Chism — is on the ballot.

Alderwomen Maureen Fraser and Missy Marshall are seeking reelection this fall to the Board of Mayor and Aldemen. Jewel Jordan, a member of the Planning Commission, is also seeking an alderman position after Billy Patton decided to step down at the end of his term later this year.

As of the most recent list released by the Shelby County Election Commission, the race for Warren’s seat is the only contested race on the Collierville ballot so far.