New School Board Chair Annie Caiola, third from the left, presides over her first meeting on Jan. 12. Photo by Dan Whisenhunt

The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education has a new chair.

Annie Caiola, a local attorney who was elected to the School Board in 2013, was unanimously elected by her fellow board members at their Jan. 12 meeting to replace outgoing chair Garrett Goebel, who served for one year. Goebel was elected vice chair.

When Goebel was elected chair last year, he stated that it was his goal for every board member to take a crack at serving in the position. The School Board chair presides over the board’s meetings.

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“I am very grateful to my fellow board members who elected me as chair, and I’m looking forward to continuing to help lead our district in the direction that we’re going,” Caiola said. “I hope that I can attempt to meet the bar that previous board chairs have set. One of my personal goals as a board chair is to keep the community well informed. I hope I can bring some skill set to communicating with our constituents, counterparts at the City Commission and leaders within the city school system.”

Caiola is part of the Slotkin & Caiola law firm. Her areas of expertise include real estate, leases, banking, trademarks and contract disputes. She has served on the board of directors for the DeKalb Bar Association and is a member of St. Thomas More Church in Decatur, according to her biography on her law firm’s website.

New School Board member Tasha White and Goebel, who was re-elected last year, were also sworn in at Tuesday’s meeting.

White thanked her family in the audience and her supporters.

“I’m excited and honored and humbled and overwhelmed all at the same time to be in this seat,” she said. “I know this is an important job. I promise to listen more than I speak and promise to always put the kids at the forefront.”

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