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Isle of Wight County’s School Board voted 3-1 Sept. 7 to appoint Renee Dial as its new Newport District representative.

The 7:47 p.m. vote followed a nearly three-hour closed session, during which the board members interviewed five candidates for the position. The other four, according to school division spokeswoman Lynn Briggs, were Lawrence Rotruck, Cheryl Williams, Joshua Goodin and Kevin Meynardie.

Dial succeeds Vicky Hulick, who resigned last month after relocating to Smithfield, which is outside the boundaries of the Newport District. Dial, according to her LinkedIn profile, is a physician assistant with Sentara Healthcare.

The School Board plans to petition Isle of Wight County’s Circuit Court for a Nov. 8, 2022 special election to fill the remainder of Hulick’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2023. Dial will serve in her appointed capacity through that date, at which time she and any other interested candidates will need to stand for election.

The dissenting vote on the appointment came from School Board Chairwoman Jackie Carr.

“Mrs. Dial was not my ‘first’ choice, but I have no doubt she will do a great job serving as the Newport District representative,” Carr said after the meeting. “I support the School Board’s majority vote and look forward to working with her.”

Dial, who has three children enrolled in Isle of Wight’s school system, said she hopes to bring “a parent perspective” and her medical background to the School Board.