UPDATE: Muscogee County School Board chairman not seeking re-election in May; new member on way to unseating leader this month

The chairman of the Muscogee County School Board isn't seeking re-election in May -- and a new member seems to have enough support to oust him this month as the leader.

Rob Varner, the District 5 representative, said Thursday he won't be a candidate on the May 24 ballot. Qualifying for the nonpartisan local races is March 7-11.

In a phone interview with the Ledger-Enquirer, Varner mentioned two reasons for his decision.

"Eight years is enough," said Varner, executive vice president of Synovus Securities Inc., "and I made a promise to my wife on election night 3½ years ago that I wouldn't do it again. So I'm honoring that promise."

In 2008, when lawyer Fife Whiteside didn't defend his District 5 seat, Varner was elected without opposition. In 2012, Varner held off challenger Brian McCabe, who worked at Ranger Joe's military supply store, with 58 percent of the vote.

The three other board members whose seats are up for election this year are vice chairwoman Pat Hugley Green of District 1, Athavia "A.J." Senior of District 3 and Shannon Smallman of District 7. All of them weren't reached for comment Thursday, so it's unclear whether they will seek re-election.

What is clear is that Varner, who wants to continue as the chairman during his final year on the board, will have at least one challenger for the lead position when the representatives vote on their 2016 officers during the Jan. 19 meeting. Several members have said Kia Chambers, the nine-member board's lone county-wide representative, has contacted them to ask for their support in her bid for the gavel.

Chambers, broker/owner of ERA Elite Ventures Realty and Elite Ventures Leasing and Management, is a former Muscogee County teacher. She wasn't available for an interview Thursday, but she told the L-E in a voicemail, "I think Rob has done an excellent job for the time that he has served as board chair. I wish him well in his future endeavors."

"If she feels like she can do a good job, then she certainly has the right to submit her name," Varner said. "I, too, will submit my name, and the board will just have to make up their mind who they want."

Varner has been chairman for three years. He succeeded NeighborWorks Columbus President Cathy Williams in January 2013, when she withdrew her name from consideration after serving as chairwoman for two years, during which Varner was the vice chairman. Williams didn't seek re-election in 2014. Chambers replaced her by prevailing in a three-way race against Owen Ditchfield, a retired educator and former District 7 representative, and Nate Sanderson, former NAACP Columbus chapter president and a retired soldier.

The 2014 election results also brought board newcomers John Thomas of District 2 and Frank Myers of District 8. Thomas, an IRS agent, ousted businessman John Wells in a runoff after Kar-Tunes Car Stereo owner John "Bart" Steed and Pratt & Whitney training and development coordinator Victor Morales were eliminated in the first round. Myers, a lawyer, beat former educator Beth Harris.

Since then, Myers and Thomas have been the most ardent critics of the board's leadership, calling for more transparency -- especially Myers. He has threatened to find candidates to campaign against the board's establishment. His outspoken objections have tested Varner during work sessions and meetings. Varner, however, insisted such criticism isn't a factor in not running again.

"I need to make that very clear," he said. "Everybody recognizes some board members are more vocal than others, but no single board member is causing me to make this decision."

Asked to assess his performance as chairman, Varner said, "I've been able to use the chair's position to help maintain order where possible when things were getting a little out of control, without silencing the voice of the public or board members. For the sake of public education and the administration, the process of conducting a board meeting can't become a circus. We can't lose our focus.

"Our job is to get the agenda done and debate and discuss in a professional manner and come to a decision. It hasn't always worked that way, but I do think I have corralled voices and situations that otherwise may have gotten out of control and led to a result that might not have been very pretty."

The Ledger-Enquirer tried to contact each of the representatives for their assessment of Varner's leadership and for whom they will vote to chair the board.

Chattahoochee County special education teacher Naomi Buckner of District 4 said in a voicemail she is leaning toward Chambers and believes the challenger already has a majority of the board's support. Although she praised Varner for "doing a good job," she said Chambers "has a lot of business background and a lot of education background. She helped my daughter, and I know she was a good teacher."

Thomas, Myers and Action Buildings CEO Mark Cantrell of District 6 didn't commit to Varner or Chambers in their responses to the L-E. The other board members weren't reached for their preference.

"I think Rob has done a good job," Cantrell said. "He's stayed pretty much unbiased on everything and pretty much has listened to everyone. Kia is a very smart lady. I've been very impressed with Kia. Either one would be a good chairman."

Thomas wrote in an email to the L-E that Varner "has done a good procedural job as Chairman, but our board is largely ceremonial and should be taking a much more active role in setting policy."

Myers was more critical of Varner.

"Rob is very dignified, presents well, and runs an orderly meeting for the most part," Myers wrote in an email. "But Rob's overall leadership has been extremely disappointing. In the last election cycle, the public called for an end to no-bid contracts and made it clear that accountability should be the watchword of the Muscogee County School Board. Rob's response was to help block meaningful transparency reforms and to usher in tens and tens of millions of dollars of new, no-bid contracts that are, in large part, responsible for cheating our kids out of a quality public education."

Regardless of whether he remains chairman after this month's board vote, Varner emphasized he will remain committed to representing District 5 through the end of his term.

"Frankly, as challenging as it can be sometimes, it's been one of the most rewarding things I've done in my life," he said. "The opportunity to serve on the board with other people, all of whom genuinely care about public education in this community, has been an honor and a blessing."

Responding to the news, Muscogee County School District Superintendent David Lewis wrote in an email to the L-E: "While I understand and respect Mr. Varner's reason and decision not to seek re-election to the Board, he certainly will be missed at the conclusion of his term this time next year. I have found him to be a consummate professional who understands and takes seriously his role as a school board member, as evidenced by his devotion of time, preparation for meetings, and steadfast commitment to base all decisions solely on what is in the best interest of the children of our school district. His understanding of large organizational systems and fiscal acumen have been particularly beneficial. Mr. Varner has garnered the respect of past and current school district administrators as well as local and state officials as a board member and in his leadership role as the board chair."

As of Thursday afternoon, nobody has completed a Declaration of Intention to run for any of the school board seats on the May 24 ballot, Nancy Boren, executive director of Muscogee County Elections and Registrations, said in an email.

Mark Rice, 706-576-6272. Follow him on Twitter@MarkRiceLE.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 8:31 PM with the headline "UPDATE: Muscogee County School Board chairman not seeking re-election in May; new member on way to unseating leader this month."