The Virtual Community School of Ohio’s board of education is made up of the following members:
Cooke Metzger
Board President
Cooke Metzger has been a fixture of educational integrity in Pickaway County for as long as many can remember. As a result of that reputation, has been able to serve on the Westfall Local School Board for the last 32 years.
Over the course of his tenure on the Westfall board, Mr. Metzger has been revered for his character, which is defined by his strong values. Everyone recognizes him as an honest, caring, and fair individual who has devoted a great deal of his time and energies to the children of his district.
Mr. Metzger has served in a number of capacities on the Westfall Board including serving often as head negotiator. He has served the board the last 27 years in that capacity as part of the negotiation committee and as a member of the finance committee.
Mr. Metzger believes that education is a process covering a lifetime. He believes that in order to solve problems you must be willing to listen, evaluate and make decisions based on the facts. Everyone who meets Mr. Metzger knows he brings an additional ingredient to this process – humor. He believes that every circumstance has a bit of humor embedded somewhere in its being.
The work that Mr. Metzger has put into his community and schools has not gone unnoticed. In 1983 he was part of the Ohio School Board Association All Region Board. In 1989 he received the Producers Livestock State Boards Award for 50 years of service. In 1990 he received the Outstanding School Board Member Leadership Award. Perhaps his most treasured award was his induction into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame on May 17, 2000. Nominated by the Pickaway County Commission on Aging, they wrote, “Cooke Metzger is nominated for his invaluable contributions to the community. He is one of Pickaway County’s great civic assets.”
Mr. Metzger resides in Pickaway County where he still farms the land that he has been farming for 48 years. He has no plans for retiring anytime soon. All who meet Mr. Metzger find him to be the definition of a gentleman. His down-to-earth philosophy and caring attitude make it very easy to call him a “friend”.
Marian Bell
Board Member
Marian has been a VCS board member since 2011.
Linda Lavender
Board Member
Linda Lavender has a lifetime of experience serving as both a business and a community leader. She has worked with the Huntington National Bank for over thirty years in various capacities. She currently serves as a branch manager and works with new businesses to set up accounts and loans. Mrs. Lavender also has a background in insurance and annuities.
Mrs. Lavender is married with two children, and two grandchildren. Her community involvement includes serving on the Whitehall and Bexley Chambers of Commerce as well as the Consortium Board at C-Tech. She is an avid equestrian and loves all types of animals.
Linda feels that virtual learning is the wave of the future in education because it enables more children to get a quality education without the peer pressure of traditional schooling. It is also a great way for children with disabilities to receive the same quality education as all other children. For these reasons, Mrs. Lavender values the opportunity to serve on the VCS Ohio Board of Directors.
Charlie Wilcoxen
Board Member
Charles “Charlie” E. Wilcoxen has an extensive background in education. He has degrees and/or coursework from several colleges and universities including Ohio University, Kent State University, Marietta College, West Virginia University, Glennville State College, and Ohio Valley University. He has been in education 33 years at the Washington County Career Center in Marietta, Ohio. During this time, he has served as Social Studies Teacher, Reading Specialist, Special Education Coordinator, and Career Assessment Specialist. Mr. Wilcoxen’s other accomplishments in the educational arena include mentoring, teaching at Washington State Community College, presiding over the Heritage Reading Council in Washington County and a variety of other activities. He is currently the Job Training Coordinator for Project WAVE.
In addition to serving on the Board of VCS Ohio, Mr. Wilcoxen has many other areas of community involvement. He is a former member of the Belpre Lions Club and Belpre Band Boosters. He is currently an active member of the Rosemar Road Church of Christ in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He has also been active in community and school sports program as a former little league baseball, community youth basketball and track coach.
Mr. Wilcoxen believes that all students can learn and that their learning is enhanced when they are presented with different modes of appropriate quality learning opportunities. He feels that VCS Ohio is an excellent opportunity for many students who desire a non-traditional quality education. He feels that VCS Ohio utilizes the latest in technology and curriculum with an excellent staff to provide a quality education. In his own words “I am honored to serve on the VCS Ohio Board of Education. VCS Ohio is a quality organization and offers an excellent educational alternative.”
James McCord
Superintendent
Former VCS Ohio board member Jim McCord brings years of experience to his role as superintendent. He succeeds former superintendent, Don Musick, who retired at the end of 2006.
McCord has 40 years of experience in education, consisting of positions in teaching, administration and consulting. McCord spent 14 years with Granville Exempted Village Schools, serving as superintendent and high school principal. He also spent 10 years as the principal at West Liberty-Salem High School. McCord is the founder of four companies dealing with strategic planning, leadership development and quality improvement. Additionally, McCord is a Vietnam veteran, serving as a captain in the United States Air Force.
McCord hopes to make a difference in the lives of VCS students, using his experience in both traditional and online education to give him the perspective needed to make a positive impact.
Shane Allen, Treasurer
Treasurer
Shane Allen is the Treasurer for Virtual Community School of Ohio. He has been in education since 2003, when he was hired as the Assistant Treasurer for Reynoldsburg City Schools. In July of 2005, he transitioned into the role of treasurer for VCS.
Previously, Allen worked as a Regional Job Cost Accountant for AmeriLink (a subsidiary of RadioShack Corp.) and as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
In his free time, Allen works as the Volunteer Financial Secretary for his local church. He graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in accounting. He and his wife have two children and reside in Pataskala, Ohio.