Granville County Board of Education member Dr. G. Tom Houlihan last week submitted his resignation, effective July 31.
Houlihan represents District 2 and has been on the board since 2014.
In his letter, Houlihan expressed his gratitude to the community during his time as on the school board. “Best wishes to all and thanks to the voters for electing me to represent District 2 for 7+ years,” Houlihan stated, according to a press statement from Dr. Stan Winborne, GCPS public information officer. Houlihan cited the difficulty of school reorganization and closures as reasons for his resignation.
Houlihan has a long, distinguished career in public education, having served as a teacher, principal and as superintendent for both Granville and Johnston counties.
He also served as the senior education advisor for Gov. James B. Hunt in the 1990’s, and led the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington, DC during the 2000’s. During his retirement, he continued to serve children both as a mentor and volunteer in the Oxford area schools. Houlihan is also an author and has served his community through various charitable and service organizations, Winborne noted.
After the resignation goes into effect, the Board will begin the process of appointing an interim board member to fill the vacant position for District 2, Winborne explained. “The details and timelines of this process will be shared with the public and qualified candidates will be encouraged to apply and be interviewed,” he said, and the finalist will be appointed to serve out the remainder of Houlihan’s term, which ends in December 2024.
