The Scott County Board of Supervisors recently announced the appointment of Carolyn Knowles as Scott County District 2 Election Commissioner, as a result of the resignation of John Herron from the same position.
The board was given notice that Herron would resign prior to the completion of his current term for undisclosed reason and the board promptly voted to appoint Knowles to the vacated position. After being appointed Knowles was officially sworn in on September 14 by Chancery Court Judge H. David Clark, II, in a ceremony at the Scott County Courthouse
Knowles is no stranger to the Scott County election process as she has worked with primaries and elections for over 45 years serving as party secretary, vice-chair, and chairperson. Knowles said she expects her years of experience to greatly benefit her in this new endeavor.
“I will serve the people of Scott County to the best of my ability,” said Knowles. I will work to ensure the upcoming election is done fairly as required by Scott County, the State of Mississippi, and the Federal Government.
Knowles is a native of Forest and is the daughter of the late Ms. Willie Inez Ford. She was married to the late William Knowles, and is the mother of two children, Cory Knowles and Heather Knowles Darby. She has one son-in-law, Justin Darby, and two grandchildren Jordan Darby and Preston Darby.
Knowles graduated from E. T. Hawkins High School and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Alcorn A&M College, now Alcorn State University, in Lorman. After graduating from Alcorn she attended Fisk University in Nashville, TN and earned her master’s degree.
After completing her college education Knowles returned to teach in the Mississippi public school system for 32 years. During her three decades in the classroom teaching she enjoyed teaching at numerous districts across the state including Sunflower County School District, Scott County School District, Forest Municipal School District and Leake County School District. In addition to her years teaching in the public school districts of Mississippi she also taught seven years in the Choctaw Tribal School District.
Knowles has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for her work in the teaching profession and within the community. She is happy to have served on many boards and has been a member of numerous organizations including: Mississippi Association of Educators, Girl Scouts of America, 4-H Club Leader, Forest Community Arts, East Central Community Action Agency, East Central Health System Agency and Scott County Retired Education Personnel of Mississippi.
Knowles is a chartered member of Nu Pi Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She is an active member of Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Forest and enjoys volunteering her time to tutoring and the food pantry at one of the local centers.
As Knowles begins her new position she is excited for the opportunity the Scott County Board of Supervisors has tasked her with. “I would like to thank the board of supervisors for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of District 2,” Knowles said. “I plan to do the very best I can in serving and I’m honored that the board appointed me to serve out this term.”
