Hoover Board of Education selects Derrick Murphy as new president

The Hoover Board of Education has selected a new leader for the panel.

Derrick Murphy, who had served as vice president for the past year, was a unanimous 5-0 selection as the new president for the coming year, effective June 1 when current president Donna Frazier’s term ends. Murphy has been on the Hoover school board for four years, and is entering his fifth year.

Frazier, who had been on the board 10 years, opted not to seek re-appointment. The Hoover City Council in April appointed Jill Veitch, a Tuscaloosa County assistant district attorney, for the city school board after interviewing 15 applicants.

A civil engineer, Murphy and his wife, Shenavia, have three children. His oldest son, Galien, 17, will be a senior at Hoover High School this fall, where he belongs to the engineering academy and is a running back on the Hoover Bucs 7A champion football team.

Murphy’s daughter, Bailyn, 8, is a rising third-grader at Deer Valley Elementary school. His youngest son is Asher Robert, 2.

After the election,  Murphy said he looks forward to continuing to serve the school board as president, and praised Frazier for her work as president, especially leadership shown during the search that culminated in the hiring of Dr. Kathy Murphy as Hoover City Schools superintendent, effective June 1.

“Donna has been a great leader,” Murphy said. “I am excited to be school board president over a diverse, dynamic city like Hoover, a community that is so supportive of our schools.”