The Chesterfield County School Board has appointed Dr. Jenna Darby as the interim representative for the Clover Hill District, with her term beginning January 1. The decision was made during a special board meeting on October 31.
Dr. Darby will replace Dorothy Heffron, who previously announced she would step down from her position effective December 31. Dr. Darby’s service as interim representative will continue until a special election is held to fill the seat for the remainder of the term, which ends December 31, 2027. The date for that election has not been determined.
During the October 31 meeting, Dr. Darby addressed the board and community: “Thank you for the trust you have placed in me today. I am honored to accept this appointment. … With that responsibility comes a promise from me. I will earn confidence through openness, steadiness and actively listening. … I am pleased to join a School Board where students are at the center of every decision. We will continue to focus on providing strong instruction in literacy and mathematics, maintaining safe and welcoming schools, and supporting special education and student services that meet needs with dignity and equity.”
Dr. Darby brings over two decades of experience in education to her new role. She currently teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Richmond. In 2025, she received recognition from VCU’s School of Education as Outstanding Adjunct Faculty.
Her previous roles include serving as a research and evaluation specialist for Chesterfield County Public Schools between 2021 and 2024, as well as working as a literacy coach at Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home from 2013 to 2018.
To select an interim representative, the school board invited applications from residents of Clover Hill District via an online process held from October 1 to October 10; nearly twenty individuals applied.
In her application for appointment, Dr. Darby wrote: “I have a base-belief in the need for equitable quality instruction to be offered to all students, and I bring an understanding of the support, infrastructure, preparation, and differentiation needed to do this across our very diverse division. I have worked in many high needs schools as a teacher at every level of education, including elementary up to graduate school. … While I do have a lot of experience, I have not served as a school board member, and I know I would have a lot to learn! However, I want to hear from and represent parents, families, and students of the Clover Hill district to support equitable student learning. I am a team player and enjoy working through tough debates to create positive outcomes and compromises through working together.”
Dr. Darby holds a doctorate in educational psychology from VCU along with degrees from the University of Virginia (master’s) and Covenant College (bachelor’s). She has lived with her husband Martin in Chesterfield County’s Clover Hill District since 2021; their children attend local public schools.
She also noted potential conflicts related to her family’s involvement with Chesterfield County Public Schools: “My husband is also a CCPS employee, which means I will recuse myself when we discuss and vote on matters in which I have a conflict of interest.” Martin Darby serves as assistant director of special education for Chesterfield County Public Schools.
