2012 Board of Directors - Members at Large

Patrice Robinson

  • Memphis, At-Large Member
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Patrice Robinson has been a member of the Memphis City Board of Education since 2000. She served as the Board’s chairman in 2004 and 2007. In 2005, she earned TSBA Level V Master Board Member status, and she received a 2007 NSBA Distinguished Service Award. Patrice received her B.S. from the University of Memphis, her M.S. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and in 2006, was a graduate of Leadership Memphis. She is currently the Supervisor of Employee Development with the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division. She and her husband, Jackie, have three children and one grandchild.

 

Ann Tears

  • Marshall County, At-Large Member
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Ann Tears has been a member of the Marshall County Board of Education since 2000. She served as the board chairman in 2008-2009 and has served as policy chairman for 5 years. Ann serves as 1st Vice President of the Marshall County NAACP and has been a board member of the Marshall Medical Center since 2007. She and her husband, Ricky, of 24 years have two daughters Brittaney and Andraya.

Don Long

  • Sumner County, At-Large Member
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Don Long has been a member of the Sumner County Board of Education since 2006.  He has served as the Chairman of the Board since 2009.  He served as Vice-Chairman from 2008-2009.  Additionally, he has served as the Chairman of the Facilities & Maintenance Committee 2006-09 and as Vice-Chairman of that committee since 2009.  He served for three years as Chairman of the Athletic Committee.  Don served on TSBA’s TLN Board of Directors for 2010-11.  Don is a member of the Hendersonville Morning Rotary Club and serves on the club’s scholarship committee.   Don is the Assistant to the Mayor of Hendersonville and the Director of Economic & Community Development for the city, both positions he has held since 2004.  Don and his wife Teri have three children, two boys who are high school students in Sumner County, and a daughter that is a sophomore at Furman University in Greeneville, SC.
 

Thomas Deakins

  • Knox County, At-Large Member
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Thomas A Deakins has been a member of the Knox County Board of Education since 2006.  He currently serves as the board’s chairman and previously served 1 year as the board's vice chairman.  Thomas served on the United Way OBI committee in 2009-2010.  He is a guest lecturer for the Logistics / Transportation MBA class at University of Tennessee Knoxville.  Thomas is Director of TMS Product Management for TMW Systems, Inc. and is co-owner of a family business; Bakins Ventures, LLC.  Thomas and his wife, Kimberly, have four children attending Knox County Schools.

David Pickler

  • NSBA Treasurer, Ex Officio Member
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David Pickler served as the 2010 Immediate Past President, 2009 TSBA President, 2008 TSBA President-Elect, and 2007 TSBA Treasurer. He is the current NSBA Southern Region Director. He has been a member of the Shelby County School Board since 1998, and has served as chairman 1999-2011. Shelby County was named the TSBA School Board of the Year in 2001 and 2004. David has achieved Level V Master School Board Member status and serves as a TSBA Ambassador. He was named to the All Tennessee School Board in 2001 and again in 2007, when he received the C. Hal Henard/School Board Member of the Year Award. He is an inaugural member of the TSBA Scholar's Circle and the Ambassador Program, and her earned Diamond Ambassador status in 2009. David received the NSBA Distinguished Service Award in 2002 and 2005. He obtained a B.S. in Business Management from Arkansas State University and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Memphis. He is a financial advisor and an attorney. David and his wife, Beth, have two children.