‘God is protecting me’

Robbinsville – Hank Dinschel has been a thorn in the side of the Graham County Board of Education for several years, so it probably should have surprised nobody that she would run for a seat on the board.

Then she won, unseating incumbent Shane Garland – who placed fourth – and beating third-place finisher Maria Shook by one vote.

You read that right – one vote.

The Graham Star asked Dinschel questions about her first couple of months in office, sitting on a board that she has been critical of and unafraid to share her views about. Here are her answers:

Describe your first hour, day, week and month at work.

“My first day was the swearing in. I was super excited, but somewhat nervous. Everyone was kind and professional to me from start to finish. After the school board’s and my storied history since April of 2021, I felt for myself it was important to take a whole new outlook toward the board members. While I always had a fondness for them as brothers and sisters in the Lord, I had spoken very harshly about them in my many writings in your paper and appearances at the various boards in our county. My goal was to shake off all of that and go in with a fresh attitude, which I did. I felt right at home in my No. 5 chair and was happy to sit next to Chip Carringer. He’s a very soft-spoken man. I’ve made it a goal to learn from and emulate some of Chip’s calm, cool and collected demeanor. I still want to be me, but with a softer approach to things that I don’t agree with; Chip is clearly good at that. This may sound silly, but I’ve made up a song (Title: I Wanna Be Like Chip) to sing to myself to remind me to relax and not get overly emotional about something I perceive as wrong. It’s certain, sitting next to Chip Carringer will bless me mightily.

“As for the weeks, and even a month-plus now that followed the swearing-in, I’ve found things to be pretty much what I thought they would be. Lots of reading, many questions, mistakes made, emotions poked and probably the most important thing of all, being challenged by an authority figure. Since I’ve controlled my own environment (I work for myself) for so long, it’s not easy to have someone shut me down when I think I have a right to speak, as you probably noticed at the Jan. 3 meeting. Of course, there has to be a leader and I’m good with that. We don’t want chaos. Rest assured though, I’ll overcome the “authority” issues and be a better person for it.”

Were there any surprises that you encountered, good or bad?

“Amazingly, I find myself really thinking about things in different ways. Everything I do in my role as school board member affects people personally. Children’s lives are literally at stake; gosh, what an awesome responsibility. So many things I had no control over before are now on my plate. Example: Just one week before the Jan. 3 meeting, I was happy with the optional masking. I just wanted to do one more motion to get rid of a little mask policy that wasn’t even enforced. Next thing I knew, an old article came to mind. I went in search of the document to remind me of all of the content. Suddenly, I realized I’d forgotten some very, very important data. This article in the context of “school board member” – and not just a “regular citizen” – changed everything I thought about masking to this point. Banning masks was the only choice I could take in light of this 2021 article. I’ll be talking about this at the next meeting as I never got to convey my findings at the last meeting as planned. I’m legally responsible for my decisions, not just ethically, or morally. God is protecting me, that’s certain. What I almost forgot could have cost me dearly.

“It’s funny how much I’m enjoying having access to information quickly; the key is to get to the right people. The reading of lots of documents is enjoyable as well. One would think it’s boring reading the by-laws/operations of a school board, but I find them informative. So much information I will need came into my hands right from the start, reading those 41 pages. Medical is my next “focus” and wow, did I get information to support my other findings so far at the last board meeting. I nearly burst out laughing in the board room in front of everyone when I looked down to find a very helpful documents to my research just appeared on my pile of paperwork given to me by various people; I’m not sure who gave me the most-useful document, but I’m grateful. God usually works things out for me that way and I love it!

“The only surprise I can think of right now is that I thought I would be able to speak after being told twice I would be on the agenda. Instead of having a slot to speak on my topic, I was given hardly any time. It was an awkward thing; I was unsure how to handle that. This experience was anything but good, all the way around. When I did speak, I was surprised to be interrupted by the attorney, the board, even the attendees; at least five people spoke while I was to have the floor. I had no idea how to deal with that, as it was not my place to stop those interruptions. I see it as the Chairman’s responsibility to control the room. In the corporate world, that kind of thing wouldn’t be tolerated, but the school-board meeting is not a corporate setting; I will do my best to remember this and not get angry. I’m sure things will get better. I’m going to keep keeping-on and pray solutions present themselves quickly when it comes to speaking at the meetings – because I have a lot to say.”

How have you been received by school board members and staff? Other county departments?

“Everyone speaks kind words and operates – for the most part – in a professional manner. The areas of challenge are the norms in this type of environment. I’m certain we’ll work out the kinks in due time. I’d like to make special mention of (finance officer) Lester Greene. He is on top of his game! Clearly, he’s working within in his God-given gift. This man’s communication skills are spot-on and of special note, he does what he says he will do. I respect that quality in a person above almost anything.

“Others in the school system have been great as well. Mrs. Wiggins was forthcoming with information when I spoke to her about my next topic to take up after masking: medical. The next praise mention is no surprise. Anyone who knows Susie Beasley knows she’s a peach and a pleasure to work with. I’m sorry to see her retire, as she’s the epitome of professional. Still, I am happy for her to move on to other things, like helping with grandkids. I’ve not had much interaction with other parts of the staff and facility since being elected, but everyone I have interacted with so far is very friendly.

“Pam Knott is a bit of a surprise, now that I’m thinking about her in this context. She did her research on masking! I respect that very much! Her heart is all-in on this board of education endeavor, which makes me so happy; I voted for her. This woman is not intellectually lazy! Not at all! In fact, she’s a hard worker for the board and school system. Mrs. Knott is a natural-born student. Her mind is sharp and she’s the first to want to learn more. Gosh, I can’t say enough good things about her.

“Chairman Nelson was the object of my ire at the last meeting. I honestly thought he yelled at me, which was kind of funny if you knew how I used to brag on the Chairman for speaking loud enough for me to hear him on the Star feed of the meetings on my computer. It’s not easy to be in the hot seat where you have to make the tough decisions. I can give him a mulligan for “yelling” at me as he probably didn’t mean his words to be “yelling” at all. Interpretation,  communication differences, personality traits, people’s norms: all of these things can lead to trouble if someone takes offense. I guess that’s why God says not to get offended. I’ll watch out for that in the future.”

What is your top 3 concerns? How do you plan to address them?

* Masks: “I’m known for my mask stance. This topic, for me, is about to come to an end, however. I will be making my final mask comments as a citizen in public comments – and not as a board member – at the next meeting. I’ll take the three minutes allotment for public comment to get my points in from last month. It’s time to move on from masks to other equally important topics. I did accomplish what I set out to do and that was to get my motions on the school board records – in writing in the board minutes, recorded by you folks at the Star, and in front of witnesses. This protects me legally, ethically and morally. That’s the best I can do.”

* Agenda: “My newest goal after attending two meetings is to see that the agenda reflects the topics of discussion for the meetings, and also reflects who will be speaking on that topic. I felt somewhat unprepared for the last meeting. There was a topic on the agenda I didn’t understand. Turns out the topic was an answer to my email questions from some weeks before. In defense of the email recipient’s long delay in answering, they were on vacation and there was a Christmas break in there as well. In the corporate world, an email of questions usually results in an email of answers. The norms are different here. Still, I was not prepared with the email I originally sent in hand when the answer came to me in such a bizarre way. Another un-corporate approach to the agenda was this: I was supposed to be on the agenda – per the Chairman – twice. Strangely, there was no mention of my name or my topic on the “agenda” document when I received my copy in the mail. The other board members had no idea I would be speaking; therefore, they couldn’t be prepared. I’d like to be able to get clarifications on the topics, if needed, and I’m sure the other members would as well. Again, I can see the boardroom and school-board room may not be the same. What’s most important is, I’d like my voters to know that I’ll try to work the agenda situation out with the folks responsible for the agenda as best as I can. I understand my job is to be prepared for the meetings; I’ll do what I can to facilitate that end.”

* Medical: “At this time, I’m gathering information on the “School Based Medical Center.” I’ve got strong opinions on this and will be doing my level best to convey my opinions in a clear and concise manner in the upcoming meetings, on my Rumble channel and in Letters to Editor writings. Mixing medical and academia is not wise in my opinion and I intend to make a case to prove my thoughts are valid. The safety of the people – big or little – under the school system is a high priority for me. Medical is a dangerous place for us, I think. The legal issues can be limitless in the medical field. There are so many negatives to it. I’ve only ever been told the good of it. Both sides – good and not-so-good – would be smart for all of us to hear.”

So far, is being a school board member what you expected?

“I guess I could say yes to this one. There was no way I would start something new and not have some things go awry; that was a given. However, losing my temper at the Chairman was not something I thought would fall into the “awry” category. I’m sure he and I will both live to fight another day, so no worries there. When dealing with such hot-button issues, things can get tense. I’m pretty sure that story will make it into my next non-fiction book. There’s just so much to learn from the incident.

“From my new chair, the key to dealing with someone is to see the person as their position, not what you’ve known about them for years. There was no “real personal relationship” between any of the board members and me prior to getting elected. But Mr. Nelson used to come to the bank when I worked there. For the time I spent with him there, he was a joy to all of us. We all loved him, still do, but I’ve had to see Mr. Nelson, and Chairman Nelson in our meetings, as two completely difference people.

“Overall, I’m finding my way; it’s not a perfect road, but God knows I will try to be honest, direct and transparent as possible.

“Something humorous: The first hours after my encounter with the chairman at the January school board meeting, I beat myself up pretty bad about my personal conduct. Even after I took to my channel to rant, there was still no relief. Then a couple days later, I watched the video of the meeting on the Star page. I burst out laughing at myself. That was the end of the “beatings.”

“I’ve totally forgiven the chairman and myself, and have moved on. I think my display of childish anger has made me a better person, in that I know I’ll never do it all right – every time – but I will overcome my shortcomings and strive to move up higher in my ways. Wrong moves and/or wrong decisions will not deter me from what I know I’ve been given to do on the board of education. I’d like to get it all done in the next few years, so I don’t have to run again. We’ll see what God says at that point. For now, I’m here to do what I need to do. I’ll do my best to be an asset to all the folks of Graham County by upholding my constitutional duty as a member of the local government.

“What is my duty? My duty is to question everything, especially the government. The children, faculty and staff will be served best if I keep this obligation in the forefront of my mind.”