By Steve Hunley
With the election of Amber Rountree, one thing is certain: the Knox County Board of Education absolutely will change.  No longer will East Knox County Board member Mike McMillan be kicked into a corner without getting a second to discuss those issues neither Superintendent Jim McIntyre and the majority don’t want to talk about.

Amber Rountree is a very impressive young woman.  She is highly intelligent, personable, extremely well educated and plain spoken.  Rountree is, in short, everything Pam Trainor is not.  Rountree is not the kind of person to be pushed to the side or bullied by Indya Kincannon or Karen Carson.  In fact, Carson was touring the polling places in South Knoxville with Trainor on election day and that proved to be no help at all.

The people of South Knoxville are, by in large, fiercely independent and opinionated.  Amber Rountree is an example of just the sort of people who can help to revive the South Knoxville community and make it an attractive place for young people to live.

I congratulate the people of South Knoxville on their wisdom in electing Amber Rountree to the Knox County Board of Education.

The people of South Knoxville have a very real opportunity to enjoy a powerful trifecta of elected officials – – – Amber Rountree on the Board of Education, County Commissioner Mike Brown, and City Councilman Nick Pavlis, who is also the Vice Mayor.  Working together, these folks can get a lot done for South Knoxville.

Lastly, Amber and her husband, Bart, have just announced they are expecting their first child this September.  That little boy or girl will be a wonderful addition to South Knoxville!