Dayton ISD names new board member

Dayton ISD Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Rachel Ansley to serve the remaining term of Mrs. Kerri Bartee at a recent Special Board meeting.

Bartee gave her resignation to the Board last month due to moving to Beaumont. The Board recognized the outgoing Trustee’s seven years of service during the celebration portion of the regular School Board Meeting.

President of Dayton ISD School Board, C. D. Williams, stated, “Mrs. Bartee has a real passion for children and we appreciate her many years of service to the students and staff of Dayton ISD. She served faithfully and always put the interest of the students fi rst. We will certainly miss her on the School Board. We wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life.”

Ansley is all about the community she lives in with her husband, Jeff, and two sons, Koy and Shelby.

She is the Operations Director for Bridgehaven Children’s Advocacy Center in Dayton. Her passion for working with children began early in 2004 when she worked at a child- care facility as office manager. She quickly furthered her education, Recognizing that her calling was to work with children. She attended The Rock School, securing her Daycare Administrator License through The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in 2006.

In October 2007, she was offered a position with Bridgehaven Children’s Advocacy Center as the first family advocate. She had the wonderful opportunity to build the program from the ground up. Rachel later became a forensic interviewer, Program Director, and now the Operations Director.

In 2009, Rachel received The Team Excellence Honorable Mention Award from the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas. Rachel was the first Lead Advocate for Region 5 Family Advocate Peer Review, a position which she served many years. She is also a member of the OAG’s Crime Victims Task Force, to which she contributes as a Subject Matter Expert.

Advocating for victims and educating communities on the impacts of Child Abuse is something she has done on multiple stages. In 2016, she was recruited by the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas to educate as a Family Advocate Faculty Trainer.

She is a native of Dayton and is a Dayton High School graduate. She is a current member of the Rotary Club of Dayton, where she formerly served as president and has been involved with many other committees to support her hometown.

Superintendent Dr. Jessica Johnson added, “ I have known Mrs. Ansley for many years. When given an opportunity to serve her community, Rachel jumps right in. She has a servant’s heart and I know she will do an amazing job for our children and staff. Mrs. Ansley will be finishing out Mrs. Bartee’s term, which is up May-2024. Welcome Trustee Mrs. Rachel Ansley!”