Photo courtesy of Stephanie Mays.
Stephanie Mays, back right, and her husband, Bernard, have been residents of West Homewood for the past 17 years. They have two students in the homewood school system: Savannah, a sixth grader at Homewood Middle School, and Sterling, a first grader at Hall-Kent Elementary.
New Homewood Board of Education member Stephanie Mays is looking forward to her term and getting to know everyone that helps Homewood City Schools thrive.
“We have dynamic, innovative and caring administrators, teachers and staff in our school system, who go above and beyond to ensure that every student has an opportunity to thrive,” Mays said. “I’m looking forward to getting to know more of the administrators, teachers and support teams who provide opportunities to support our children in the classroom, on the ball fields, in the lunchroom and beyond.”
Mays was appointed by the board on April 22, and her first day on the job was May 3, after attending orientation with Superintendent Justin Hefner.
“During orientation, he provided detailed information about the roles and responsibilities of board members, board policies and contact information for current and prior board members who have been so graciously willing to provide advice and guidance during my term,” Mays said.
Mays represents Ward 2 and will serve a term of five years.
“I welcome the opportunity to serve our community on the board, to collaborate with community stakeholders and assist with making decisions that will continue to elevate and support our school system,” she said. “I am honored to play an integral role in helping to shape the opportunities provided for all of the students in our community and want to be a good steward of this role.”
Mays graduated from Birmingham Southern College in 2004 and then Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 2007. She has since worked at Maynard Nexsen (formerly Maynard Cooper & Gale) and currently serves as the chief talent and human resources officer for the firm.
She is also the outgoing chair of the Homewood City Schools Foundation’s Teacher Impact Award Committee.
Mays said she loves that Homewood is a family-oriented community.
“‘Don’t forget where you came from or how you have been raised’ were the last words my grandmother told me 24 years ago as I left my smalltown of Woodland, Alabama, to attend Birmingham Southern College,” Mays said. “When my husband and I decided to plant roots in West Homewood in 2007, Granny’s wise counsel from many years prior helped guide our decision. We knew that we wanted to rear our family within a family-oriented community and one with a strong village of support, so the quality of the school system and opportunities for cultivating genuine relationships within the community were determining factors in deciding to live in Homewood.”
Mays said her children benefit from Homewood’s rich educational experiences, caring teachers and administrators and supportive community.
“Whether in the classroom, on the little league T-ball field or in the school spelling bee, our children are experiencing a quality educational and community experience,” Mays said. “It won’t be long before we will be telling our own children, ‘Don’t forget where you came from and how you have been raised,’ and we are grateful for the opportunity to raise them with the village of support that we have in Homewood.”
