Auburn City Schools

Originally from Tennessee, Kathy Powell is a proud alum of Auburn University, having earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and her Master’s in Business Administration from AU.

Kathy and her husband, Greg, have lived in Auburn since 2004 after making the move back to the Plains to open her very own State Farm Insurance agency. She was thrilled to be able to return to this community to grow her business and start her family, as she and Greg have two sons, Harrison and William.

Prior to being appointed as Board Member, Kathy has served in various leadership roles on the ACS Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) ever since her oldest son entered kindergarten. It was through those volunteer efforts that she was able to experience first-hand the wonderful educational opportunities happening for children in Auburn.

Kathy is honored to serve ACS as a Board Member as she looks to help expand the level of excellence for all students and our community as a whole.

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Sharon N. Tolbert was born and raised in Auburn and is a 1986 Auburn High School alum. She received her Master of Business Administration from Troy University. Sharon has worked in the public sector administering federal programs sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for nearly 30 years. She has numerous certifications in regard to managing HUD-funded programs coupled with being a 2021 graduate of the Public Housing Authority Director Association/Rutgers University Executive Director Education Program.

Sharon was first employed by the Auburn Housing Authority (AHA) beginning in 1994 and later returned in July 2013 as the Chief Operating Officer. She was named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the AHA in January 2015. Before returning to the AHA in 2013, she worked for the City of Auburn for nearly sixteen years as the Director of Community Development where she managed the HUD-sponsored Community Development Block Grant Program.

Sharon is passionate about her work because as a child, her family was a beneficiary of the programs she currently manages. She serves on various housing and community development boards and committees at the local, state, regional, and national levels. She is the daughter of Betty Neloms and Byron Neloms. Sharon is married to Prentice, and they have two sons, Joshua and Miles.

Sharon and her children attended the Auburn City School system (k-12) and feel it is her civic duty to serve on the Board of Education. As a Board member, she desires to assist the Board in carrying out its Statement of Beliefs, Mission, Objectives, and Strategies. Sharon further states it is her pleasure and an honor to serve all children of the Auburn City School system.

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Blake is a native of Roanoke, Alabama, and has called Auburn home since graduating from Auburn University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance. He joined his current firm, Wilson Investment Group, in 2013 as a financial advisor and has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional designation. Blake is married to Chelsea, and they have one daughter, Catherine.

Blake is a graduate of Leadership Lee County's class of 2020, and he is also an active member of the Auburn Kiwanis Club where he serves on the board of directors. Blake believes it is important to give back to the community through civic service and is honored to serve the children of Auburn City Schools as a member of the Board of Education.

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David is a Senior Vice President in the Commercial Lending Department of AuburnBank. He grew up in Auburn and graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1997. 

After spending the first 11 years of his banking career in Birmingham, he and his wife, Joy, moved back to Auburn and he joined AuburnBank in 2008. He and Joy have three boys, Will (20), Jack (18), and John David (14). Will is a graduate of Auburn High School (’21) and is currently a student at Samford University. Jack will be a senior at Auburn High School in the fall of 2023 and John David will be a freshman at Auburn Junior High School. David and his family have also been a licensed foster family for 10 years.

David has served the community in numerous ways during his time in Auburn and is very involved in his church and other nonprofit organizations as well. He is honored to serve the students of Auburn City Schools as a member of the Auburn Board of Education and feels it is important for him to do what he can to help maintain and grow the high standard of excellence in Auburn City Schools that was set many years ago.   

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Brad grew up in Madison, Alabama. He attended Auburn University, where he met his wife Karen, and graduated with a philosophy degree in 2001. He then obtained a master’s in philosophy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and taught at both the college and secondary school levels. After deciding on a career change, he graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2013.

Brad and his family moved to Auburn in 2017 when he joined the Office of the Alabama Attorney General. He currently serves in a supervisory role as a Deputy Attorney General where he oversees civil litigation involving the State of Alabama at the trial court level. He also brings his experience in representing State boards and commissions to his role as a Board member for Auburn City Schools.

Brad and Karen have four children: Luke, Monica, Julia, and Charles. The Chynoweth children have attended Auburn City Schools from elementary through high school, with Luke graduating from Auburn High School in 2025. Brad has seen his children benefit from the excellent educational, social, and extracurricular activities provided by ACS and is honored to serve as a Board member.

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