Trisha Garner appointed to Davidson County Schools Board of Education

Davidson County Schools has officially filled a board vacancy with the appointment of Trisha Garner, who was sworn in during Monday evening’s meeting. The seat had remained empty since the resignation of former board member Ashley Carroll last month.

Garner previously ran for a school board seat in the November 2024 election, where she finished fourth among 14 candidates—around 800 votes shy of winning a spot.

The vacancy arose when Ashley Carroll resigned after being charged in a crash involving a Davidson County Schools student. According to police reports, Carroll faces charges of driving with an open container and failure to yield the right of way.

After Garner took her oath of service, board chair Nick Jarvis welcomed her with praise. “We couldn’t be more excited to have her,” he said. “We look forward to all the great things that she does. She has an amazing family, a great son over there that we think very highly of, and we look forward to having you as representative [on] this board.”

Garner is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University. In her previous campaign, she campaigned to restore “a sense of pride into the classroom” and increase “professionalism on the school board.”

According to her LinkedIn profile, Garner is a nurse leader at Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center. She holds a Master of Healthcare Administration from Pfeiffer University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is board-certified as a Nurse Executive (NE-BC) and is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).

Public campaign materials and Branch.vote indicates that Garner lives in Denton, North Carolina, with her husband and their son. She identifies as a Christian and has emphasized her commitment to faith, family, and community service.

For updates on Davidson County Schools, visit www.davidson.k12.nc.us.