During the May meeting of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Clemontene Slack and Ed Watters ('83) joined the governing body, and Jere Drummond (’57) and Joyce (Riddle) Neely ('62T) were named life trustees.
Slack, a longtime educator in Rome, begins her first term on the Board of Trustees. She served for many years as a high school guidance counselor and graduation coach at Rome High School. A former Shorter University associate professor of education, Dr. Slack spent time as chair of the institution's School of Education before returning to Rome High School. She has also taught in Yantai, China, and in Santa Cruz and Sucre, Bolivia. She is married to City Commissioner Milton Slack III.
Watters, president of Watters & Associates Landscape in Rome, returns to the Board of Trustees after serving multiple terms previously. He is an active volunteer for Darlington, helping with the Annual Fund and serving previously as member of the Northwest Georgia-Area Campaign Cabinet and the Alumni Leadership Board. Watters is also a member of the J.J. Darlington Society and the J. Daniel Hanks ('27) Heritage Society. He and his wife, Allison, are the parents of current students Grace ('20) and Ivy ('21).
Drummond, retired vice chairman of BellSouth Corp., is past chairman of the Board of Trustees. He began his communications career in 1962, holding numerous roles at BellSouth until his retirement in 2001. In addition to his previous service to the Board of Trustees, Drummond was co-chairman of the School’s Second Century Campaign and holds membership in the J.J. Darlington Society. When he was named Distinguished Alumnus in 2007, his family announced the endowment of the Jere A. Drummond Leadership Potential Scholarship in his honor. Drummond also served as the keynote speaker at Darlington's Commencement on two different occasions and as honorary chair of Leadership Darlington for four years. He and his wife, Patsy, live in Charlotte, N.C.
Neely is an attorney and the owner of RayLen Vineyards. She has served multiple terms on Darlington's Board of Trustees and is a former class agent for the Thornwood School Class of 1962. Neely is a member of the J.J. Darlington Society as well as the J. Daniel Hanks ('27) Heritage Society. She was also named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2005. She and her husband, Joe, live in Winston Salem, N.C.
