Joshua Mitchell looked back at his experience as a Craig County High School student when he explained to the district’s board of education what his top priority would be if they chose him to fill the body’s empty seat.
“I told the board my No. 1 priority was just safety for our kids,” he said on Monday. “I want them to have a safe environment for their education.”
That answer, as well as the rest of his interview, impressed the four sitting board members enough that last week they chose Mitchell to be the new Craig City district’s representative for the next year.
Mitchell, an Army veteran and 2011 graduate of Craig County High School, replaces former board chairman Salvatore “Trace” Bellassai, who resigned in September because he was taking a new job in another state. Mitchell, a father of four who works for the Craig County Sheriff’s Department as a dispatcher and also serves as a New Castle volunteer firefighter, said after discussing it with his wife, Rebekah, and praying on the subject, he considered applying.
Mitchell said he and Bellassai had known each other since high school and both were Craig County volunteer EMTs and the outgoing board member encouraged him to consider being his predecessor.
“Trace helped change a lot of stuff in the schools,” Mitchell said. “I’m happy to be able to fill his shoes a little.”
Mitchell said when he was in high school, he generally considered Craig County’s schools to be safe, but there were still incidents of bullying and other situations that he believed left some fellow students not feeling as safe as they should.
He said now he will consider student safety when voting on any measures that are presented.
“I just want to make sure that kids here don’t have to go through that kind of stuff,” he said.
After high school, Mitchell spent five years in the Army working as a helicopter mechanic. According to his resume, he eventually served as a team leader, maintenance trainer and handled various office duties after being promoted to the supervisor level in his division.
Mitchell’s term will last through the end of 2027 and the seat will be up for election in November 2027.
– Steve Hemphill
