Prince George elevates assistant to superintendent of schools

Prince George County looked within its own school system to find its next superintendent.

The School Board voted 4-1 on Monday night to appoint Bobby R. Browder as the county's top education official. Browder has spent the past three years as assistant superintendent for administration and personnel.

"He has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to education and the needs of the kids. He was the right fit as we went through the process," said board Chairman R.E. "Bobby" Cox.

Board member Roger E. Franklin Jr. voted against the appointment, saying during the meeting that the superintendent should be a county resident.

Becky Kirk, school board clerk, said the county has no policy or guidelines stating the superintendent needs be a resident of Prince George County.

Browder lives in Hanover County and is in the process of purchasing a home in New Kent County. He said that the three previous superintendents were not residents of the school district. Browder succeeds the retiring R. Francis Moore, who has guided the school system since 2006. With the start of school just days away, the transition between Moore and Browder "will be seamless, being that he's already in the division," Cox said.

Browder, who earned a bachelor's, master's and doctorate at Virginia Tech, was among 30 educators who applied for the position. He takes over a school system that serves nearly 6,200 students and achieved Adequate Yearly Progress benchmarks under the federal No Child Left Behind program. All schools in the county made AYP.

Before joining Prince George, Browder served as principal at Henrico County's Mount Vernon Middle School from 2001 to 2005. He also was an assistant principal and teacher in the Henrico school system. He spent 16 years as director of pupil personnel in Brunswick County.

Browder said last night that he has worked with many superintendents who have been mentors to him. He also said the variety of positions he has held helped prepare him for the role of superintendent.

"Each role afforded me an opportunity to observe, change and reflect upon the impact on education within the district served."

Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or .