The Dinwiddie County School Board is made up of five elected members serving four-year terms each time elected. The school board supervises the day-to-day operations of the public schools, implements and enforces school laws/policies, cares for and manages the school divisions’ properties, provides for the consolidation of schools, determines the length of the school term, determines the methods of teaching, appoints the division superintendent, and hires, employs, and terminates personnel.
All Dinwiddie School Board meeting dates, information, minutes, and policies are posted on BoardDocs. The School Board meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Pamplin Administration Building unless special arrangements by the Board has been made. We encourage and welcome the public to attend all open session meetings.
Meet our Board Members
District 1
Dr. Elaine J. Pearson
(804) 712-6446
epearson@dcpsnet.org
Dr. Elaine J. Pearson is a newly elected School Board official for District 1.
Dr. Margaret Elaine Jackson Pearson grew up in Waverly, Virginia. She attended public school in Sussex County, graduating in the final class of Waverly High School in 1970. She married F. Edward Pearson, II in 1981, and they have one son and one daughter.
She attended Longwood College (now University), graduating in 1974 with a B.S. in Education with a major in History and a minor in Government. She returned to Longwood, where she received her M.S. in Education (Administration and Supervision) in 1980. In 2004, Elaine joined Cohort II in the Doctoral Program at Virginia State University, graduating in 2008 with her ED.D. in Educational Leadership.
Elaine spent 34 years in public education in Henrico, Powhatan, and Surry Counties. During this time, she taught grades 7-12 in all social studies areas, computer literacy, and gifted and talented classes, for which she was the coordinator at both the high school and middle school levels. She served as Department Chairperson for the Social Studies Department at Powhatan High School and Chairperson for the School Review. While at Hermitage High School, she sponsored the cheerleading squad and was assistant girls’ gymnastics coach. She served as Assistant Principal at Surry County High School and Principal at L.P. Jackson Middle School.
The top achievement of her administrative career came in her final term as Principal at L.P. Jackson Middle School when the State of Virginia released School Reports in the fall for the Spring SOL Testing, and for the first time in school history, the middle school was fully accredited.
After her retirement, she moved to a farm in Dinwiddie County. Elaine enjoys attending Masonic/Shrine activities with her husband, serving as Secretary/Treasurer and Adult Sunday School teacher at her church, and leading Bible Study at another church in her community. She spends her leisure time reading, crafting, and tending to her various animals.
District 2
Dwayne G. Walker, Vice-Chair
(804) 986-6195
dwwalker@dcpsnet.org
Dwayne G. Walker is a newly elected School Board official for District 2. Reverend Walker is a lifelong and 4th generation resident of Dinwiddie County where he graduated from DCPS in 1997. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion from Liberty University in 2001. He also holds an MBA from Longwood University. He has ministered for more than 20 years at the North Dinwiddie Church where he currently serves as the Lead Pastor. He and his wife Christi oversee the Kids First Christian Preschool and Childcare that provides services to over 100 children from our community, including many who attend our public schools. He and Christi have a daughter- Cassi, and two sons- Cameron and Christian, all of whom attend Dinwiddie County Schools. Reverend Walker is the Girls Tennis Coach at DHS, a chaplain for the Fishers of Men Tournament Trail (VA EAST division), and serves on the board of directors for a number of other community organizations. He lives by the motto derived from the Gospel of Matthew, “Love God and love people”.
District 3
Barbara T. Pittman
(804) 861-8501
BPittman@dcpsnet.org
Barbara T. Pittman began her term on the Dinwiddie County School Board in 2012. She is a retired educator with 38 years of service to Dinwiddie County in the capacity of teaching, coaching, guidance counselor, and administration. She served as Principal of both Dinwiddie Middle School and Dinwiddie High School before retiring in 2010. She also serves as a Board Member to Code R VA and Appomattox Regional Governors School.
Ms. Pittman earned her undergraduate degree at Longwood College, a Masters Degree at Virginia State University, and an administrative endorsement at VCU. She is active in the community by serving on the Chamber of Commerce, the Dinwiddie Christmas Sharing Foundation, The Teen Expo Committee, and the Board of Directors of Carson United Methodist Church.
Barbara Pittman is the mother of a fellow educator and a grandparent to two beautiful girls. She is a strong believer in public education and making sure our graduates are ready for post-secondary education, work or the Armed Forces.
District 4
Mary M. Benjamin, Chair
(434) 246-4820
mbenjamin@dcpsnet.org
Mary Mabry Benjamin is a native of Dinwiddie County, Virginia, a graduate of Southside High School, Virginia State College (now University) where she received a B.S. Degree in Food and Nutrition, and the University of Phoenix where she received a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management. In 2005, she retired from the Philadelphia School District with 35 years of service.
Prior to being elected to the Dinwiddie County School Board in 2015, Mary served on its Electoral Board. Her service to the community is further demonstrated through her involvement as a member of the Board of Trustees at the Appomattox Regional Library and a host of other civic and community organizations.
She is an active member of Little Bethel Baptist Church; but most of all, she is the proud mother of two children, Edwin (Dr. Shanna) and Traci, and grandmother to Chloe and Spencer.
District 5
Jason L. Brown, II
(804) 481-9538
jbrown@dcpsnet.org
Jason L. Brown, II is a newly elected School Board official for District 5. He was a part of the first class to attend Sutherland Elementary and is a graduate of the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School (Class of 2019). He was a technology major at the Governor’s School and is now a student at Brightpoint Community College. Following his time at Brightpoint, Mr. Brown plans to pursue his bachelor’s in Anthropology.
As a teenager, Mr. Brown was a participant in Dinwiddie County’s Youth Workforce Development Program. At that age, he expressed interest in government and politics, and for two years in that program he interned with Dinwiddie County Administration and the Crater Planning District Commission. He is now one of the youngest elected officials in Dinwiddie County history. He is extensively involved in political advocacy and is a firm believer in community power. Mr. Brown leads under the philosophy that a strong school system is the natural result of putting power into the hands of students, teachers, and families. One fun fact about Mr. Brown is that he studied a total of five languages in high school and college: Spanish, Latin, Chinese, American Sign Language, and Russian.
NOTE: The organizational meeting of the School Board is in January of each year to coincide with election of Board Members.