2024 GOVERNING BOARD CANDIDATES

NATASHA BARKER

I would like to advocate and promote productive school counselor programs in schools! I am a very big advocate for students!

SARAH BAUMGARDNER

I am a Board Member of the West Virginia Counselor Association and I would like to expand my involvement with school counselors as well. I would like to advocate for our state and our profession.

BROOKE BIGGIE

I want to be more involved in helping our profession grow. My passion is bringing more diversity in our state to encourage a more inclusive environment for our staff and students. My background in leadership includes public relations/graphic designing for the Hispanic College Fund Organization at VCU, then in my profession I have been the Public Relations Coordinator for the Hispanic/Latino Association in Jefferson County. My position incorporates social media promotion, organization of events, and graphic designing flyers and videos. I am considered artistic and driven in my position, and always striving to create new and creative ways to help not only our students, but our staff as well. I am not sure how much work and time a position on the board would be, but I give 100% to everything I do.

Bio

Brooke Biggie is a graduate from Marshall University with a master's degree in School Counseling. She currently works as a School Counselor with Jefferson County Public Schools, WV. Her professional experience includes 4 years in the field of education, 3 of which have been in the position as a School Counselor. Additionally, she has been volunteering as a mentor for high school students since 2012. Brooke is half Peruvian and takes pride with the work she does in the community. She emphasizes a data driven program that builds positive and trusting relationships with students while collaborating with various stakeholders to support their social/emotional and academic growth. She is a CUE Advocate and serves as the public relations coordinator with the Hispanic/Latino Association (HLA) and as a faculty advisor for the Hispanic/Latino Student Association (HLSA), to promote and assist in creating an inclusive and diverse environment for all students and families.

KIM BURNETT

I choose to run for the board to assist the team in providing support for school counselors. I had excellent training and mentoring when I began as a school counselor five years ago. I would enjoy paying it forward and helping other school counselors to feel equipped by being on a team that researches and plans conferences and other pertinent and practical training.

Roselee Copenhaver

I want to be more involved and part of the decision process. I have a great deal of leadership experience and am currently serving as the next in line for the President of my state convention.

ANNETTE CULBERSON

I am a retired professional school counselor and honored to be a candidate for a position on the WVSCA board of directors. I bring a lot of history and experience to the WVSCA board of directors. I have served for 31 years on the board. Even in retirement, I am committed to advancing the welfare of students and supporting the vital work of school counselors.

I graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. The professional organizations that I am in are, West Virginia School Counselor Association and American School Counselor Association. I was employed by Preston County Schools for 32 years with 27 years as a school counselor. I dedicated my career to nurturing students and striving to implement best practices to help students and the program overall. The offices I have served in WVSCA, are Elementary Vice President, board member and for most of the time secretary. I have extended training in Career education (School of Hard Knocks), Values based curriculum and Disc assessment for Youth through Maxwell Leadership Team training, conflict resolution, peer mediation, PBIS, crisis management. Before retiring another Preston County counselor and I took the lead to write and submit a federal grant to fund more counselors for the county. I continue to look for ways to support counselors through grants after retirement as well. The leadership roles that I have held within WVSCA as well as other organizations equips me with strategic planning, communication, and decision making skills essential for effective governance.

If elected, I am committed to supporting the interests of school counselors and back policies that promote equity, inclusivity, and student success. I believe the Board plays a vital role in providing professional development opportunities, nourish collaboration among counselors and advocating for resources to support school counseling programs in every county.

In these challenging times, the role of school counselors has never been more critical. I am confident that my experience, passion, and vision make me the ideal candidate to represent the interests of school counselors on the Board of Directors. With your support, I am eager to contribute to the continued growth and success of the school counseling profession.

Gerritt Dayton

As a School Counselor in a smaller area (Hardy County), I feel that I have unique insight to concerns and issues that occur throughout our county and state. Assisting and helping individuals is part of the reason I wanted to become a School Counselor, and having any opportunity to work with other professionals and advocate for them and assist them wherever needed would be an absolute honor. The issues that I see throughout our state and general area specifically not only regarding students and parents but also local board offices, etc., make it difficult for School Counselors to be as effective as one would like. However, at Moorefield High School in my past three years, I have effectively worked with 500 students and have seen an increase in test scores, college/trade school attendance rates, college & career fairs (as well as visitations), etc., and have worked effectively with a local Behavioral Health facility to increase the access a student has to additional resources. Additionally, I have implemented a School Counseling program, a Bereavement response team, and other initiatives that give students the opportunity to pour back into their community which helps in giving them a sense of pride where they come from.

I would be extremely honored to have any part in the Governing Board. Currently, I have almost five years as a School Counselor (two at an elementary level and almost three at the high school level), I have obtained my Master's in Education in School Counseling through Liberty University (several years ago), and I am working towards additional credentials such as my NCSC. I also oversee several counselors in the area that are working towards their degree completion so that they too can become a fully licensed School Counselor.

Megan Noble

I’m running for the WVSCA Governing Board because I want to act as an advocate and ambassador on behalf of the WVSCA. This position allows for the opportunity to create real change and influence the direction of the School Counseling profession. I also hope to connect with an amazing group of counselors working towards a great cause, enhancing our field and seeing issues from many points of view.

I’ve held different types of leadership roles throughout the years I feel as a School Counselor, I am a leader/advocate for my students. I not only teach them character education but show them by my actions. Currently, I serve as the track coach for my elementary school’s team and plan the end of year field day. I have also coached middle school basketball, as well as youth rec. league soccer. I have served as President of the Band Boosters for 4 years, when my son was in high school. In college, I served as Captain of my lacrosse team, VP of Membership in Alpha Phi Omega, and Philanthropy Chair of Zeta Tau Alpha. I was also a presenter at the 2024 WVSCA Conference.

Bio

I graduated from Marshall University in 2013 with my MA in Counseling. I have worked for 7+ years in the school setting as a School Counselor and School-based Therapist. Currently, I am at Cottageville Elementary, a PK-5 school in Jackson County. I have also worked in the mental health field, primarily as a Therapist at a foster agency. I've planned to take my NCE and work towards my LPC this year. I also have a background in marketing/sales, with a B.S. in Marketing from WV Wesleyan.

JODI WILLIAMS

Jodi Williams has been a school counselor with Berkeley County Schools for the past 17 years, having worked at the high school and elementary levels. She began her career in counseling as an Americorps Volunteer working with homeless veterans at the local VA Medical Center. After completing two terms with Americorps, Jodi worked as a recruiter with the local Girl Scout Counsel.

Ms. Williams completed her Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at WVU and a Master of Education Degree in School Counseling at APU. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Paralegal Studies from the University of Maryland University College (now University of Maryland Global Campus) and completed 3 years of coursework towards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Howard University.

As an employee of Berkeley County Schools (BCS), Ms. Williams was named Berkeley County School Counselor of the Year 2022-2023 and the WV School Counselor of the Year 2022-2023. In addition to these awards and honors, Jodi serves on the Berkeley County Schools’ Equity & Inclusion committee and as her school’s Equity & Inclusion liaison. She also serves on the BCS Counselors 10-year Planning Committee, Attendance Committee, and is the liaison for the Military Common Ground Purple Star Award for Opequon Elementary School. Prior to her role as school counselor, Jodi was a substitute teacher for BCS (certified K-Adult, Science).

Ms. Williams is a member of several professional organizations including ASCA, WVSCA, BCEA, and NEA. Her community, civic, and volunteer activities and affiliations include former Committee Chair of a local Boy Scout Troop, former NAACP #3242 Membership Committee Chair, NAACP #3242 Secretary, Americorps Alumnus, Board Member of For The Kids By George Children’s Museum at Caperton Station in Martinsburg, and Commission Member and Secretary for the Berkeley County Museum Commission.

In her spare time, Ms. Williams enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, the great outdoors, site-seeing and history tours, dancing, puzzles, crochet, billiards, and skating.

Lucas Ziems

My name is Luke Ziems and I am currently in my 10th year of working as a Middle School Counselor in the state of West Virginia. If elected to the board of the WVSCA, I will work to provide all school counselors in the state with access to the resources that have helped me deliver services to students and families for the last 10 years. As a middle school counselor, I have seen firsthand how middle schools often get overlooked when it comes to the academic, psychological, and family supports that are provided at other levels of education. I am dedicated to working with other school counselors, administrators, and other stake holders to identify how the WVSCA can best support middle school and establish the norms and expectations of supporting all levels of public education with the systems and resources they need to make their programs thrive.