Mark Ivory seeking reelection for Houston County Board of Education District 6 At Large

HOUSTON COUNTY — Mark Ivory has spent his entire life in Houston County and is hoping to continue his service on the Houston County Board of Education, Post 6 At Large. 

His biggest supporter is his wife, Angela. They have two kids, or as Ivory likes to call them, “grown men”, Marquez and Marcus Ivory. The oldest, Marquez, is a teacher and football coach at Northside High School. Marcus is a pharmacist working in Colorado. Ivory and his two sons each graduated and played football at Northside High School. Ivory is also a disabled veteran who served in the United States Army. 

Ivory originally had no intention of serving on the Houston County Board of Education. However, he got some encouragement from the man upstairs.  

“One night, I was lying in my bed, and I woke up at about two or three in the morning, and this voice, which I knew was the Holy Spirit, told me to run for Board of Education,” he said.

Ivory didn’t think anything of it until the next night, when the same thing happened once again. He then contacted a friend and Board member at the time, Bryan Upshaw, to see how to get started. 

“I just felt like it was a calling as I’ve been an educator in this county for a long time,” he said. “I’ve taught school and coached here for 25 plus years, and I just know it is a great way to give back.” 

Ivory has served on the Board of Education since 2022. He described being on the Board as a good way to serve the community. He said their roles include setting policy, procedures, and budget, as well as managing the Superintendent. 

Ivory believes there is unfinished business in the Houston County School District and would like to see projects come to fruition while serving on the Board. 

“I feel like I can spearhead some of these [projects], but I cannot do it by myself as we are a team,” he said. “I think we all can agree we have some unfinished business in Houston County as much as we’re growing, especially towards the south.” 

Ivory mentioned the construction of the STEM Academy and Veterans Middle School as major projects going forward. One of his campaign goals when he ran in 2022 was a greater focus on STEM, and that still holds true today. 

One of Ivory’s main priorities if reelected is to continue to work as a team alongside the Superintendent. 

“I think our new Superintendent Dr. [Richard] Rogers is doing a fantastic job, and his vision for the county lines up with the Board members and our vision,” he said. “He’s assembled a really good team for his Executive Cabinet, and we all work well together.” 

Another priority is to ensure that students are put first. Ivory said that without the students, they would have nothing. 

“They are our community and the future of Houston County,” he said. 

Ivory described his leadership style as being like a quarterback. Coincidentally, he played that quarterback position at Northside High School. 

“In order to be in that position, you have to be a leader. I’m a vocal leader as you gotta know when to talk and when not to talk,” he said. “I try to lead by example, and I like to think I’m a good family fan. We’re a home of leaders and God has placed us in leadership positions.”

Whenever Ivory is out in the community, he always likes to hear citizens’ input on the school system. 

“When people bring things to me, I take them straight to our Superintendent and our Board,” he said. “I know our Superintendent respects me enough that he really listens to the things I bring back from the Houston County community.”

Staying positive and sharing the Superintendent’s vision is what Ivory hopes to achieve if he’s reelected a second time. He believes that if the Houston County School District thrives, the county will progress and flourish. 

“I think I’m a dependable person and a really good leader. You don’t get a lot of half stuff from me. I’m gonna shoot you straight from the hip and tell you what’s what,” he said. 

Ivory’s goal by serving on the Houston County Board of Education has always been to make Houston County the best county in the State of Georgia. 

Ivory is running against Andy Thomas. The general primary election is May 19.