Meet new Hoover Board of Education Member Jill Ganus Veitch

The newest appointee to the Hoover Board of Education says she is looking forward to helping school leaders address many challenges, including rezoning as the school system tackles growth in population.

Jill Ganus Veitch was appointed in a 6-0 vote, with one abstention by Councilman Gene Smith, during the April 20 Hoover City Council meeting. Veitch said she will be studying school issues and getting feedback from parents as she prepares to take office on June 1.

“I will be the new person and will be calling on board members seeking advice,” she said. “I will also be listening to stakeholders, including teachers, students and parents. I am an open person and a good listener.”

Veitch will replace current School Board President Donna Frazier, who opted not to seek reappointment. Once she takes office, the panel will have to choose a new leader.

Veitch said she feels honored to be selected, and looks forward to serving on the Hoover school board. Her appointment brings a familiar name back to the city school board. Her husband, Bill Veitch, served as a school board member from 2002 to 2012.

Council President Jack Wright commended the caliber of candidates, saying it was hard to choose one person from among the 15 that applied.

“It was tough choice. We had a lot of good candidates,” Wright said after the council meeting.

Veitch said she looks forward to meeting the new Hoover city schools superintendent when he or she takes office this summer. The Hoover Board of Education is interviewing the four finalists between April 21 and April 27, and is expected to select a new city schools chief by the end of May.

Veitch said she hopes to attend some of the finalists’ interviews. Asked what she sees as the biggest challenges Hoover city schools face, Veitch said “rezoning and making sure we find the right superintendent.”

Veitch is a former Jefferson County Judge who is now an assistant district attorney in Tuscaloosa County. Her husband, Bill Veitch, is chief assistant district attorney in the Jefferson County Bessemer Division. The couple have a 13-year-old son, Jack, who is a 7th grader at Bumpus Middle School.

In her application, Ganus Veitch cited her career as a child advocate as making her the best candidate as a school board member. She served seven years on the Bessemer Domestic Violence Task Force and is currently on the Tuscaloosa Domestic Violence Task Force. She also served on the YMCA Hoover board of directors over the past five years.

The most pivotal moment of Ganus Veitch’s interview came when she was asked how she would separate herself from the previous 10-year tenure on the board of her husband Bill.

“I love my husband, but I was Jill Ganus the child advocate before I met Bill,” she said. “We are definitely two different individuals.”

Here is a link to previous coverage of the Hoover school board appointment process, including a look at all 15 candidates who applied: http://hooversun.com/news/here's-a-look-at-hoover-school-board-candidates-who-have-app/