School board candidate Geraldine West Hudley announces campaign

ALBANY — A candidate for the at-large seat on the Dougherty County School Board formally announced her intentions to run Tuesday night.

Geraldine West Hudley, a retired educator and a lifelong resident of Dougherty County, greeted supporters at the Albany Area Arts Council.

Hudley said she made the decision to run at the urging of some of the adults in the community.

“Many of these adults here have chosen to remain in Albany after their education,” she said. “Some are returning, and that is a good thing.”

Hudley said she hopes the Dougherty schools act as a model for other systems, maintain support for the arts, continue collaboration with various entities, engage the community, take data and find ways to address it, encourage communication with and among board members and acknowledge learning styles.

“There is much I know, and I have learned from those experiences,” she said.

“I am interested in maintaining a positive image of the school system and being able to hear from students and young scholars … What is it you would like to see in school leaders and your board that forges progress and academic achievement?”

Hudley retired from her career in education as principal of Radium Springs Middle Magnet School of the Arts. Before that, she served 27 years as a teacher at Dougherty Comprehensive High School. She has also served as an adjunct professor in the Albany State University Department of History and Political Science.

The Geraldine West Hudley Scholarship is awarded annually to an eighth-grader. She is currently mentoring 21 children of middle school and high school age.

Accomplishments during her career included four-time STAR Teacher at Dougherty High, Dougherty County Teacher of the Year in 1986, recognition by the General Assembly, recipient of the Excellence-In-Teaching Award by the National Council of Negro Women for the southern region of the United States and proclamation of Geraldine West Hudley Day in the cities of Baconton and Albany.

Hudley earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College in political science with a minor in French. She received a Master of Education in social science from Georgia Southwestern State University.

Hudley is running against Susie Ealum for the seat being vacated by Lane Price.